


The Milk Way of our Dreams

by psychotic_fangirl369



Category: Supernatural RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Future, Alternate Universe - Space, Family Secrets, Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Soldier Jensen, Thief Jared, War
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-01
Updated: 2017-07-01
Packaged: 2018-11-22 00:35:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 23,333
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11368908
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/psychotic_fangirl369/pseuds/psychotic_fangirl369
Summary: Jared always knew that being a thief wouldn't end well. But he never expected to pick pocket the most valuable possession in the New World, meet a handsome soldier, get kidnapped by the Rebels and save the universe from a hundreds of years old war. Oh no, Jared never expected any of that to happen to him, but life doesn't always happen the way we expect it to, does it?





	The Milk Way of our Dreams

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, this my new story, The Milky Way of our Dreams. I hope you all enjoy it. 
> 
> After this, I will be taking a small break from writing as I am going through some things at the moment and need time away from the internet. When I come back online, I will be focusing all my efforts on my work in progress, Just Hold On. 
> 
> Until then, goodbye and once again, I hope you enjoy it.

**The Beginning**

 

The Seventh Galaxy of Crepton has long since been viewed as the deadliest and most obtuse development of the New World. It is the place where thieves and murderers, scavengers and collectors; tend to spend their days. It is a corrupt, under the books sort of place, where anything can happen and everything is more or less a lie.

Next to the Seventh Galaxy of Crepton is the Sixth Galaxy of Crepton, and the Fifth Galaxy of Crepton, and so forth. They are more looked after than their sister galaxy. People respect them.

Outside of Crepton is the rest of this wilderness we call a universe. There is the Blue Moon Galaxy, The Under Galaxy, the Delton Galaxy. Other than that, there is nothing. Unless you include the wild lands - a place where death is your only friend.

The Blue Moon Galaxy is the most prosperous in the New World. The richer, more civilized folk, live there. It is a place where royalty still exists, where money is a toss away object worth nothing. The fear, the war – neither has reached there yet. The Blue Moon security is too strong. Yet despite their technology, they don’t offer their help. We hate them for that.

The Under Galaxy is a desert land of traders and builders, developers and warriors. It is a war base. A military camp. Untouchable.

The Delton Galaxy is that of a mystery. The people there are strange. The lifestyle is strange. It’s the sort of place that others leave alone in fear of disturbing the odd sort of peace that its inhabitants possess. The war hasn’t reached them either. But it will. And when it does, the entire New World will burn. That’s what fire does best, after all.

 

 

**Part One**

**Jared’s Point of View**

 

Head down. Don’t make eye contact. Remain inconspicuous.

This is the mantra that I have been telling myself since I was 13 years old. If you remain hidden, in the shadows, no one will notice you until they reach into their pockets or open their bag and the object they are searching for is gone. And, as predicted, I manage to slip the golden orb out of the man’s pocket and slip away without missing a beat. He’ll never know until it’s far too late to retrace his steps. And even if he did, he wouldn’t remember me. That’s the beauty of my job. If you can call it that.

It’s been 11 years since I left my life on The First Galaxy of Crepton and joined the lower class of The Seventh Galaxy. Most people would view this degrade simply as that: being tossed into the dregs of society, the end of their existence. I view it quite differently. 

Leaving the First Galaxy had been my choice entirely. I was 13, had no family and needed to get out of the view of the war as soon as possible.

The Order of the 9th Development has been part of the war hundreds of years ago. It is never ending. No one even knows why we are at war in the first place. We just are.

“Hey, man! Get out of the clouds and focus, would ya?’

I glance up, smirking, as I meet the gaze of my best friend and partner in crime, Chad Michael Murray. He is sitting on top of the wall of the old, run down and decrepit building that we live in. He jumps onto the ground, landing on his feet, flashing me a smug grin.

“What’d ya get us today, Jaybird?”  
I toss my bag onto the table and let the contents spill out. Jewelry, cash, the golden orb, bits of metal that we can sell at the scrap yard. Chad hums in approval.

“Well done, man. Got us a selection there, ain’t ya.” He prods the golden orb. “Wonder what this is?”

I shrug. “Dunno. It’ll get us a fortune though, I reckon.”

He nods thoughtfully. “Yeah…”

I walk past him and collapse onto the worn down mattress that lies on the floor in the corner of the broken room. I roll my shoulders, trying to release the tension in them. The usual feeling of overwhelming tiredness fills me and I gasp back a yawn, trying to feign being awake. Alas, I fail. Chad is by my side in a second, concern on his face.

‘You alright, Jaybird? You like like the dead. You ain’t gonna go and kick the bucket on me, are ya?” Despite his playful words, there is an underlying meaning in his tone. It’s as if he’s saying, did you take the tablets, Jared? And why do you even have to take them? What’s wrong with you and where did you come from?  
That is a secret I can never tell him. I would die for the boy without a second’s hesitation, but tell him my big secret? About why I welcomed the Seventh Galaxy of Crepton like it was Christmas instead of what the usual angst and dread that others do? No. I can’t draw him into my mess any more than he already is. I simply can’t.

I reach over, nudging Chad out the way as I pull the pills out of their hidden spot under the loose patch of the wall. I tip one of the pills into my hand and swallow it dry, ignoring the slight pain in my throat. Chad watches me with a cautious eye and I force myself to ignore it. I shove the pill bottle back into the hidden hole and then collapse on the bed, sucking in a harsh breath. Chad stands, turning his back on me as he walks back to the table and shoves my collection into the ruck sack.

“We’ll sort these out tomorrow. Get some rest, Jaybird.”  
My eyes are closed before he even finishes his sentence.

 

*****

 

The light shaking of my shoulder awakes me in the early hours of the morning. I blink lazily, my gaze landing on Chad’s concerned face directly above my own. I shove him off of me and sit up, yawning as I rub my eyes hurriedly.

“Wh’t ‘appenin’?” I mumble, sleepily.

Chad stands up and tosses the ruck sack of yesterday’s goods at me. He gestures behind him.

“We need to get going, Jaybird. The sun will be up soon. We have to sell the goods ‘nd get some new’ns.”

I slowly stumble to my feet, grabbing my pill bottle and swallowing one before slipping the bag over my shoulders and following Chad out into the murky street. The first sun of the Seventh Galaxy is just starting to peak above the hills. The next will follow in a few minutes. The sky is a hazy orange with a trickle of pink etched out into wisps of clouds. It is a perfect morning.

Chad chatters away as we make our way to the scrap yard to sell off the metal I acquired yesterday. He mumbles on about the latest Starliner and the way it has improved. Then he talks about the future, dreaming up impossible ideas, like always.

“I’m telling ya, Jaybird, one day we’ll get out of this dump. We’ll get ourselves a Starliner and travel the universe. We can stop by the Under Galaxy and see what all the fuss is about. Maybe even visit the wild lands. We’ll get there. I promise.”

I let him have his dreams. Just like he lets me have mine. Doesn’t mean that any of them will come true. We reach the scrap yard and immediately head towards old Jim Beaver’ office. We have been dealing with him for 10 years now. I had been on the Seventh Galaxy for one year and I was living alone on the streets. It was Jim who brought Chad and I together. After one year of pathetic fumbling and screwing up, I ended up at the scrap yard. I was going to try bargain with Jim, try to get a job or something. Instead, I ended up tumbling into a boy a few years older than me who was ranting to Beaver who refused to buy any scraps off of him. I managed to talk Jim into buying off Chad, and in return, Chad took me under his wing. He showed me the ropes. Taught me how to survive. He became my best friend, my brother. And Jim, well, I suppose he became a sort of father figure in our lives. He looks out for us, protects us and in return we give him the scraps of metal we pick pocket off of the rest of the population.

We don’t bother knocking on Beaver’s door. Instead, we barge in, talking at the top of our lungs, only to come to an abrupt halt when we see that Jim isn’t alone. Standing next to him is a man a few years older than me, possibly around Chad’s age. He is tall, but not as tall as me. In his hand he holds a piece of paper that is turned away, the contents just out of view. His clothes are slightly posher than the typical Seventh Galaxy gear, but perhaps he is from the Sixth? Chad eyes him before looking back at me, eyebrows raised. I shrug, pulling a face.

“You abandoning us, Beaver?” Chad asks, dramatically throwing himself on my shoulder and weeping theatrically. Beaver and I roll our eyes, as I let my arm slip around Chad, patting his back. He pulls away from me, grinning cheekily.

“Aww, he hugged me! I can die happily now.”  
I whack him over the back of his head, laughing playfully, before turning back to Beaver and the strange man, who’s bright green eyes are focused on us, his lips pulled up in amusement. Beaver sighs.

“Jared, Chad, this is Jensen. He’s here on business. Now, boys, what have you got for me today?”

I swing the bag off of my back and place it on Jim’s desk. Then I start to unload the contents. Pieces of metal pile onto the table. I shoot a look at Chad, who nods cautiously. I pull out the golden orb.

“I... found this. Any idea what it is?”  
Jensen’s eyes turn icy. “Where the hell did you get this?” He demands, snatching it from me, examining it thoroughly.   

“Uh,” I turn my wide eyed gaze to Chad, who squints, chewing his lip.

Jensen places the orb into his coat pocket, pointing at us.

“Tell me, or else.”

Chad snorts. “What ya gonna do, mate? This is the Seventh Galaxy, for heaven’s sake. Lying and stealing is all we got.”  
Jensen lets out a short, breathy laugh, his eyes dark. “I work for the Order of the 9th Development, kid. You will tell me.”

Well damn. The Order of the 9th is basically the military service of the New World. When the Old World perished and humanity moved out into space and joined the other Galaxies, the Order of the 9th was formed. It is an army service combined with all of the species of the New World. A way to ensure the safety of all the creatures of the galaxy. For Jensen to be part of it means that we basically could be arrested right now. After all, we just unloaded a heck of a lot of stolen goods onto the table. As though sensing that thought, Chad starts to casually slip all of our metal back into the back pack. I nearly snort out loud. Does he really think he’s being inconspicuous? Jensen rolls his eyes.

“I don’t care about the damn stolen metal. I want – no, _need –_ to know where the hell you got that orb.”

“Why?” Chad retorts, ever the stubborn one. “It’s ours now. We own it, military boy, so back off.”

Jensen groans in frustration. _“You_ _don’t get it._ That orb is the reason for the damn war!”  
Everything seems to fall silent. The only sound is the dull ticking of the clock that is hanging on the wall behind us. I feel Chad tense next to me. I try to process Jensen’s words. The reason for the war? No… that can’ be right. No one knows the reason for the war. It’s just a never ending thing that has been going on for centuries. Jensen has to be lying. Maybe he isn’t even from the Order of the 9th Development. This is the Seventh Galaxy of Crepton, after all. Lying is all we’ve got. But the intensity and underlying layer of desperation in Jensen’s eyes tugs at my heart. Damn human emotions. I feel them more than most.

“I found it,” I hear myself say without realizing it.

Chad’s eyes whip towards me, betrayal in his accusing gaze. I swallow the lump in my throat.

“I took it off a man in a trench coat on the corner of Okly.”

Jensen frowns. “What did he look like?”

I shrug, helpless. “Brown hair, short – well, shorter than me, at least.”

This causes Chad to snort. “Jaybird, everyone in the damn universe is shorter than you.”

I blush. Jensen glares at Chad. “Shut it, squint. I’m trying to get information out of sasquatch here.”

I purse my lips. “There is nothing else to say. I saw the guy, pulled the orb out of his pocket and left. Big deal. You probably aren’t from the Order of the 9th in the first place. This is the Seventh Galaxy, you know. All we do is lie, cheat and steal.”

“Yeah, well I ain’t from here, am I?”  
I look him up and down. His clothing, finer than my own, and his accent tell me all that I need to know. Realization dawns on me.

“You’re from The First Galaxy of Crepton, aren’t you?” I ask excitedly.

Jensen nods, raising an eyebrow. “Yes. And so are you. Your accent is fading though. Guessing you haven’t lived there in a while.”  
I shake my head. “Not since I was 13.”

Chad gawks. ‘You’re a First Galaxy boy? Why didn’t ya ever say so?”  
I turn to face Chad. “I left for a reason. You know that, Chad. You know that I can’t talk about it.” Especially when a 9th Development officer is in the damn room.

Thinking about my life on The First Galaxy of Crepton brings a hollow feeling into my chest. I never knew my dad. My parents weren’t married. They met, had a night of passion and never saw each other again. But my mum was left with me. 9 months later I was born. I grew up happy. We were happy. Just me and my mum. But when I turned 13 everything fell apart. She came to fetch me early from school, said there was an emergency. Then she proceeded to tell me things. Things that I never thought I would hear. I am 100% human. A pure blood. That’s why I have those damn pills that help me breathe, and why I have to keep the reason that I take them a secret. That’s why my parents didn’t stay together. In the New World, pure humans are forbidden. When we left the Old World and moved out into the stars, taking all our Old World ways with us we made a pact with the New World creatures we met and settled with. We could bring our arts and music and buildings and traditions and settle in and make the New World our home, but there was a slight problem. Human’s couldn’t survive in this new climate. And so a pact was drawn up and pure humans were eliminated. Every single human in the New World has DNA off other species because somewhere down the line a relative had offspring with another species until there was no pure humans left. Except for my blood line. My dad was pure human and so was my mum.  The Order of the 9th Development killed her. And they’ll kill me if they find out. So I ran.

“Jared?”  
I’m jolted out of my thoughts by Jim’s concerned voice. I force a small smile. I’m alright. I’m okay, Jim seems satisfied, rubbing his hands together.

“As interesting as this all sounds I have a business to run. Either sell me the damn metal or come back later, but I have work to do.”

Jensen grabs my arm, dragging me out the room.

“Hey!” I protest, reaching for Chad who grabs my other arm, drawing Jensen and I to a halt.

Jensen glares at us. “Listen here, that orb could change everything, but I need information. So either you two can sit about and continue stealing in order to get by or you can help me save the damn universe and get out of this dump.”  
 “I like this dump,” Chad mumbles under his breath, but doesn’t complain further.

Jensen rolls his eyes., tugging my arm again. This time Chad and I follow without any protests. Once outside, Jensen looks around, gesturing for us to take the lead. With a sigh, Chad and I start to walk, making our way towards Okly street. It’s a short walk, only a few minutes. The streets are filling up now, the dull clothed people selling bits and bobs, covered in muck and dirt. I sneak a glance at Jensen. His expression is carefully blank but his eyes reveal the mixture of disgust and sorrow he feels at the sight of us ‘poor, less fortunate’ folk. We reach Okly and I stop, pointing slightly to the right.

“He was there.”

Jensen looks. “In a trench coat?”  
I nod. “Brown, long trench coat. He vanished around the corner.” I pause. “He had strange markings on his skin. Black, ink like lines. Maybe tattoos?”  
Jensen steps forward and looks around the curve. He frowns. All that’s around the corner is a small tavern, already filled to the brim with drunkards despite the fact that it is scarcely 8 o’clock in the morning. Jensen moves towards it. Chad looks at me, wide eyed.

“Mate, even we don’t go in there. Trust me, Jenny boy, that place is the dumpiest dump of the New World.”

Jensen doesn’t look amused. “I need to know where trench coat got the Orb.”

Then he steps inside the tavern. Chad and I look at each other helplessly. He rolls his eyes, muttering something about ‘stupid, military thieves’ before following Jensen into the tavern. I follow suit. It’s lively inside the room. The obnoxious, overzealous men are chatting loudly, the Old World music playing in the back ground. Chad and I grin at each other. While most folk have tried to move on from the Old World, only exploring its arts and history in museums, those on the Seventh Galaxy are still very much in love with it. The melodious tunes of Rick Springfield play over the speaker. Jensen frowns, before sauntering over to talk to a random guy at the bar. We shrug. Let the officer do his thing, we’ll enjoy our first taste of the unruliest tavern of the New World.

We saunter over to the bar, ordering a couple beers, before settling onto the bar stools and looking around. The men all look really shady and the women serving them are practically naked. Chad’s eyes bug out of his head and he looks away, mumbling under his breath. While Chad appears to be an outspoken, unemotional man, he is actually extremely respectful and has a high moral system. The bar keeper places our drinks in front of us, grinning a yellow toothed smile, holding out his hand. I slap a bill into his outstretched palm, ignoring his revolting appearance. Chad and I knock our cups together before downing them. We sit there for about half an hour, only having a couple drinks each, before Jensen waves us over, stepping outside. With a sigh, we once again follow his lead, Chad talking loudly about the first time we stole together.

“Remember the girls face when she saw you?” He laughs, leaning on Jensen. “You should have seen it, Jenny boy! Priceless! Absolutely priceless.” 

Jensen looks stunned. “Uh, get off me?”

Chad huffs, stepping away and placing his head on my shoulder. “Jaybird loves me.”

Jensen just glares at him. “Right, I need to get this orb back to base. You two are coming with me.”

Chad sobers up instantly. “What? Come with you? To where? Where the hell is your base? Blue Moon? Under? Oh my gosh, we’re going to Under! Jared, we are going to die!”  
I hit him, snapping him out of it. Chad stares at me, wide eyed, before nodding slowly.

“Breathe,” I say, before facing Jensen, who looks unimpressed and rather fed up.

“Yes, we are going to The Under Galaxy. That is where the Order of the 9th Development base is. Now, you need anything or can we go?” He states, irritation leaking into his tone.

I shake my head. “I need to grab some stuff from our home.”

With that, I turn, expecting Jensen and Chad to follow. They do. We reach the run down building in a matter of minutes. I walk over to the hole in the wall and pull out my pill bottle, poping one in my mouth before looking inside. There are only a few left.  I look at Chad and he gets it.

“We need to make one more stop,” Chad says. “Come one.”  
Jensen follows, a curious look on his face. He wants to know. He wants to know what they are for, just like Chad wants to know. I can’t tell them. Especially Jensen. I don’t know him and he works for the 9th.  

The walk to Chris and Steve’s is slightly longer, dodging through the back ally’s and trying not to attract attention.  Christian Kane is a back dealer who sells things, ranging from pills to Old World computer parts. His best friend and partner in crime, Steve is a criminal in hiding. He hacked into the entire Blue Moon security system once in order to get Chris in to steal something. He’s been in hiding ever since.

We stop outside the run down looking hut, a good way to hide the wonders within. I turn to Jensen.

“We are coming with you. In return, you have to ignore what you’re about to see.”

Jensen raises an eyebrow, but nods. “Sure.”  
Chad pushes the door open and we step inside the house. Chris and Steve have Old World computer systems hooked up all over the place, game machines running, security breaches displayed on the endless screens, and shelves of illegal substances lining the walls. Jensen’s breath hitches as he takes it in.

“Damn it,” he mutters.

That’s when Chris and Steve turn away from the computer they were hunched over, paying attention to us. I found Chris when I first moved to the Seventh. He knows what I am. Of course he does. That’s the only thing the pills are good for. But so long as no one else knows the name of my prescription, they won’t be able to tell from looking at them. They look like normal headache tablets.

“Jared! Chad! Wasn’t expecting you till next week. Who’s this?” Chris asks.

“Jensen Ackles, Order of the 9th Development officer. I know who you are. And if it wasn’t for the fact that I need these two to help me, and they won’t if I arrest you, I would be taking you back to base.”

Chris and Steve eye each other.

“You brought a 9th here?” Steve glares.

Chad shrinks back, grumbling away, as always. I sigh.

“Listen, it’s important. I know my prescription isn’t due till next week, but I need it now. I’m going away and I don’t know when I’ll be back.”

Chris is already shaking his head. “Sorry man, but I only get your pills in 4 days’ time. I wish I could help ya, I do. You and Chad are special to me and my man, Steve. But I can’t get them until 4 days’ time.”

Jensen huffs. “What’s so important about the damn pills, Jared?”

I shake my head, ignoring the rising panic. “Doesn’t matter. They’re not important. Let’s go.”  
“No way! Jaybird, I dunno why you need ‘em, but ya do. You get freakin weak without them, dude. No, we’ll wait four days and get your prescription, then we’ll go with military boy to The Under Galaxy.”

“You’re going to Under?” Steve interjects, glancing at Chris with a knowing look in his eyes.  

“I’m not discussing business with a criminal,” Jensen retorts, glaring.

I cough. “What do you need, Steve?”

“Oh come on,” Jensen grumbles.

“Chris and I have been trying to get into the 9th Development’s main base data system on Under for years, but there is one code missing that we can’t hack.”

“You want us to get the code while we are with Jensen on Under?” I ask, already knowing the answer.

Chad snorts. “We’ll do it, but you owe us big time.”

Jensen gasps in disbelief. “Do none of you care that I am right here listening to you plot to hack into my boss’s data base?”

We all look at each other, grinning.

“Nope.”

“Na.”  
“Um, no?”  
Jensen rolls his eyes. “Morons,” he grumbles. “Utter morons.”  
“You love us,” Chad retorts. Then he grows serious. “Will you definitely have the prescription in- “

“No,” I interrupt. “It’s fine. We leave today.”

Chad sighs, but doesn’t protest anymore. We get a few last details off Chris and Steve about the code they need us to find, before leaving the hut with an infuriated Jensen leading the way.

 

 

**Part Two**

**Jared’s Point of View**

“What is _that?”_

“It’s a Starliner.”

“Rather shabby one, if you ask me.”  
“Well, I didn’t!”

“Are you sure it works?”

“You little- “

“Shut up!” I interject, tired of listening to Jensen and Chad’s bickering.

We are standing next to Jensen’s Starliner. A small, red ship, with a secure engine and flying system. It’s nice, really. But Chad has always dreamed of travelling in one of the larger, famous Starliner’s and this small, old ship doesn’t cut it, apparently. Jensen glares at Chad fiercely. It looks rather cute, in all honesty. I sigh deeply. Jensen is by far the most attractive person I have ever had the privilege of laying my gaze upon. Thank Mercury for his beauty, I think, as Jensen turns and stalks on board the ship, his hips swaying sexily. Chad sees me checking Jensen out and nudges me, sticking out his tongue as he pulls a face of disgust.

“Seriously?” he whispers.

I shrug, as if to say what can you do? Because, really? When someone that gorgeous is standing in front of you there isn’t much one can do to stop themselves staring at the miraculous specimen.

“Jared!” Jensen yells. “Get over here, will ya? Chad, go amuse yourself.”  
Chad glares at Jensen’s back before deciding to go explore the ship, disappearing around a corner. I swallow my nerves and make my way over to Jensen, sitting in the copilot seat next to him. He closes the main door and pulls the ship off the landing pad, taking off into the sky. It feels like forever since I was last in a Starliner. Jensen flashes me a grin.

“So you’re a First Galaxy boy, huh?”

I nod, wondering where he’s going with this.

“Why’d you leave?”

I chew my lip. “I never knew my dad. And when my mum died, I had no one left. So I moved here. Easier to stay alive when you can lie and steal your way through life.” There. Basically the truth. I’ve never been a fan of lying, despite my constant doing it. 

Jensen nods. “And you never wanted anything different out of life? Something honest? Better?”

I laugh lightly. “Who’s to say what’s better and what isn’t? Sure, I might lie and steal, but you work for the Order of the 9th Development. That involves killing and lying too. And don’t say it’s for the sake of the war. I’ve met 9th officers before, you know. They enjoy killing. But, if you must know, as a kid, I wanted to be part of the Order of the 9th Development.” I shake my head bitterly. “That’ll never happen. I know that. It was a stupid dream, anyways.”

Jensen places his fingers under my chin, lifting my gaze to meet his.

“You still could, you know. They’d put you under watch for a few years, since you lived on the Seventh. But then you’d be a normal officer, like the rest.”

I nearly laugh out loud. A pure blood working for the 9th? Yeah, sure. I smile at Jensen.

“Na, it’s not for me. I like the rebellious way of life too much.”

Jensen nods. He runs his eyes over me, and I feel my face flush. To an outsider, it may look like he checked me out, but I can see those beautiful green orbs clearly, and the calculating look in his eyes is definitely not sexual interest, but blatant curiosity.

“What are the pills for?” He questions, his eyes on mine once more.

I shake my head. “Sorry, sweetheart. I just met you. I can’t spill all my secrets just yet.” I wink playfully, hoping to move the conversation away from me. Jensen frowns, before smirking back at me, leaning close, his breath fanning my face.

“You know, Jay, I haven’t met someone as sexy as you in a very long time.” His lips nearly touch mine. But then he smirks and he pulls back. “Feel free to explore, don’t touch anything and if you break it you pay for it.” Then he hits the autopilot button and disappears further into the ship. I stare after him in a daze. What the heck just happened? Shaking my head, I stand and follow Jensen’s path into the back of the ship. It’s a lot large than it looked on the outside. The winding corridors seem never ending. I stumble around a corner and bump into Chad, who is staring out the window, wide eyed. I stop next to him and stare out into the darkness. The Seven Galaxies of Crepton shimmer proudly in the darkness, tiny specks of red nothing in the vast emptiness. Stars glitter and shimmer around us and I can’t help the clenching in my heart. This might be it. I don’t have my pills. By the time that the last couple run out, we’ll be on Under. With 9th Development Officers everywhere. I’m screwed.

“We’re in space, Jaybird” He turns to look at me, his eyes wide and awe is written all over his face. “We got out.” His voice is a mere whisper as he steps towards me and throws his arms around my neck. “I promised you I would get you out. Time to travel the universe, eh?”

I smile against Chad’s neck. “Yeah. Time to start livin’.”

I lift my head from Chad’s shoulder and my eyes meet Jensen’s, who is watching us from a few feet away. He keeps my gaze for a few seconds, before turning and walking further into the ship in silence. I pull out of Chad’s embrace, shoving Jensen to the back of my mind as I smile.

“We’re free.”

 

*****

 

It’s been two days. Two days on the Starliner and I haven’t seen Jensen. Chad and I have explored every nook and cranny that we stumbled across and we’ve spent hours staring out into space. On the morning of the third day, The Under Galaxy comes into view, glowing blue in the dark. The five green rings that shimmer around the planet make me gasp. It’s exactly like my mother used to tell me. She was an Under girl, before she fell for my dad. Chad claps me on the shoulder, grinning widely.

“Well, would ya look at that. Ain’t too shabby, is it.”

I laugh, nudging him with my shoulder. “Glad Under lives up to your standards, mate. Wouldn’t want a degrade from the Seventh now, would we?”

“Well, if you two knuckle heads are done with ya joking, I would like to land her.”

We spin around to come face to face with Jensen, who is casually leaning against the wall, his arms folded across his chest. He is clad in his 9th Development uniform and looks mighty fine. I swallow hard. Jensen pushes himself off the wall and walks over to the control panel. Chad and I grin at each other, before walking over and sitting down next to him. He slowly eases the ship into gear and then, cautiously, aims her towards the landing pad that is slowly coming into view. The light tremor that jolts the ship as it lands is minimal and then Jensen is standing up and facing us.

“Right, you two. Your job here is to tell the Head everything you know about that Orb and the person who took it.” He rubs a hand over his face. “Just... if you have to get that damn code for your friend, do it with discretion. I don’t wanna lose my job for this, ya hear me?”  
We nod.

“Good. Now. No stealing. Behave yourselves. This might just be your chance to get out of The Seventh Galaxy of Crepton for good. The Head is known for rewarding people generously and this orb you… found. It has the ability to end this ever raging war.”

He walks towards the exit. “You coming?”  
Chad and I start to follow when an overwhelming ounce of dizziness hits me.

“Damn it,” I mutter before stumbling and leaning against the wall, my eyes squeezed shut as I gasp for breath. It’s okay, I tell myself. I can survive without the pills for up to one month before it kills me. It’ll just be hard and painful, but do able. I’ve managed before, after all.

“Jaybird!” Chad is at my side in an instant, holding my arm. I shrug him off, standing up straight and blinking.

“M fine,” I mutter, swallowing. Breathe. In. Out. In. Out.

Jensen raises an eyebrow, frowning. “You need pills?”

I shake my head. “N-no. I’ll survive without my prescription. Just… won’t be as comfortable.”

Chad snorts. “You need ‘em! You just can’t get them on Under because they are illegal and you,” he says, rounding on Jensen, “just gave us a lecture on behaving so now he won’t go look for a dealer, damn it! Jaybird, I love ya, you know that. Which is why I’m gonna say this. Jensen and the Order of the 9th can shove it where the sun don’t shine. We are going to get you some damn pills. Okay?” With that, Chad saunters over to the exit, waving his hands. “We gonna go talk to the Head, then?”  
Jensen grumbles under his breath and hits the latch, the door opening. We step outside into the sun and it takes a moment for my eyes to adjust to the brightness. When the glaring sun relents, I glance around, taking in my first view of Under.

We are in an Order of the 9th Development base, judging by the military like buildings and open desert land. A row of armed men, women and species that I have never seen before are lined up in front of us, all clad in the 9th Development uniform. Starliner’s are hovering in the air, or lined up in what appears to be a loading bay a few feet to the left. A girl steps forward and salutes Jensen, who, in turn, steps forward and shakes her hand.

“Danneel,” Jensen says, “I need to see the Head immediately. I have important issues to discuss.”

The girl nods, eyeing Chad and I up.

“Who are they?” she asks, whilst turning around and walking towards the towering buildings, gesturing for us to follow. Jensen walks in line with him, explaining that we are important in a lead that could help end the war. The two officers talk in hushed whispers that are next to impossible to hear. Giving up on eavesdropping, I take the opportunity to look around as we enter one of the buildings. It’s like nothing I’ve ever seen before. It’s too formal, too done up. Too expensive. Chad nearly has a heart attack, bless him.

“They have all this money to put into an army base, yet people on the Seventh are dying due to lack of food and water.” Chad shakes his head in disgust. “Let’s find this damn code for Chris and Steve, tell the Head what we know of that orb and then get the hell out of here. Take a detour on the way. We could always borrow Jensen’s Starliner.”  
“I heard that!” Jensen yells over his shoulder.

I laugh while Chad blushes scarlet and mutters to himself.  We draw to a sudden halt behind Jensen and the Sargent. We are standing outside a large, steel door. Danneel takes out a card and swipes it in the available slot. There is a dull beeping and then the door opens, revealing a cozy, office like room. We step inside, the door closing behind us. There is a large sofa, a desk filled to the brim with papers and work. A computer is seated in the middle of the desk, as well as television that is hung on the wall. There are no windows. Standing by the bookshelf on the left side of the room is a small, petite woman, with long brown hair swept back in a ponytail. She turns to face us, her expression grim.

“Officer Harris,” she says, nodding at him in greeting. “Officer Ackles. Welcome back. Who are those two?”  
Jensen smiles. “Ma’am, this is Jared Padalecki and Chad Murray. They may have helped me discover a way to end the war.”

The women purses her lips. “Harris, you are excused.” She dismisses the woman who nods and exits the room.  She smiles. “Jared, Chad, I am The Head of the Order of the 9th  Development. My name is Genevieve Cortese. Now, what does Jensen here mean, you may have helped him find a way to stop the war?”  
Chad looks dumb struck and I roll my eyes in exasperation. He always was a sucker for a pretty face. Stepping forward, Jensen pulls the Orb out of his pocket and holds it out to the Head. She gasps, a hand coming up to cover her mouth whilst the other reaches forward, fingers itching to touch it but pulling away before her fingers touch the cool surface of the golden object.  She swallows hard, her eyes turning on me. Then she lets her gaze flicker to Chad before staring at the floor.

“Someone better explain where this came from within the next 5 seconds or else there will be hell to pay,” she threatens, her voice low and demanding.

“I stole it,” I blurt out, then wince as I realize what I’ve just said.  Her eyes burn into my own. Explain, they demand. “Chad and I, we’re from the Seventh Galaxy of Crepton. I pick pocketed a man in a long brown trench coat. Then Chad and I were selling off metal scraps and we were going to sell the Orb too, but Jensen saw it and well, here we are.”

“Here you are,” she muses, chewing her lip. Then she looks at Jensen. “Keep it hidden, Ackles. We don’t need this getting out. If the Rebels find out that we have a way to stop them from winning, it will be over.”

The Rebels. The enemy faction that the Order of the 9th Development is fighting. Heaven only knows what the Rebels are fighting for. Like I said earlier, nobody even knows what the damn war is about, only who it’s between and that it has been going on for hundreds of years. Pretty much since humanity arrived in the New World. Which begs the question, is the war because of us? After all, everywhere humans go, death looms. I now that much from the Old World History I learnt back when I lived on First and went to school. We are taught about Earth and how humans failed the planet and her inhabitants. I remember quite clearly how Mason, a Jinx – which is a sort of part human part dinosaur – would pick on us ‘human’ folk, telling us how we were so much less than the other members of the New World. Then us ‘humans’ would retort back that we are proud of our heritage and of all the good things we did and that, really, no one is even a full human anymore and pure bloods are extinct. At which point I would try my damn hardest not to let anyone notice my unease. I come back to the present when Chad jabs me harshly in the ribs, causing me to wince. I glare at him before turning back to Jensen, who is staring at me quizzically.

“You alright, Jay?”  
I feel the surprised expression on my face before I can school it and rush to hide it. Jay? Did Jensen just give me a nickname? I ignore the light tingle that makes its way to the pit of my belly. His beautiful eyes focus on me and I chew my lip, calming my red face and jumping heart.

“I’m fine. It’s just… this is a big change, ya know?” I say, in hopes to draw the attention away from me in specific, and rather onto the situation itself. The Head nods.

“Right. I expect it would be bizarre. Under is nothing like The Seventh Galaxy. I once spent three months their undercover.” She shudders. “Revolting.”

A swirl of anger fills me. “No disrespect, ma’am,” I state, “but to some people, the Seventh is our home. It may not be as grand as this, or as important or well looked upon. But it is still home. We may be liars and cheats and thieves., but there is more fellowship and hope and love amongst all us poorer folks than there is on this damn planet, that I can assure you. We may be viewed as less by the likes as you, but the Seventh is a beautiful place and so are her people. So keep your bloody opinion to yourself.” The words are out of my mouth before I can stop them. Once I’m finished, I swallow hard and cautiously look over at Chad, who is grinning like a maniac and look at me with that ‘that’s my boy’ expression of his. Jensen looks like he’s fighting off a smile and, for some reason, that makes me bite back a grin too. And then there is the Head. Her expression is blank and slowly, she begins to speak.

“You know something, Jared. Not many people have the guts to stand up for what they believe in now days. I gotta say, I admire what you just did. You’ve got spunk, kid.”

“I’m not a kid,” I retort, then hurriedly add, “but thanks ma’am.”

“Gen,” she says.

“What?”  
“Gen,” she repeats. “You can call me Gen. I think you’ve earned it.”

I nod slowly. “Alright. Thanks… Gen.”

Chad grins. “Yep, our Jaybird always had spunk. Glad you appreciate it, Gen.”

She scowls at him. “That’s ma’am to you, thank you very much. Now Jensen, since you brought ‘em here, you are in charge of them. They’ll stay with you for the duration of their stay. Why don’t you three go get some rest? Tomorrow, we will explain things to you two.” She sighs, rubbing a hand over her face. “If you are to be working in the inner circle in order to stop the war, you ought to know what is really going on and why. Tomorrow I will tell you the truth that only a few others in the inner circle know. The reason for the war, and why that Orb can end it.”

 

*****

 

Jensen’s house is warm, cozy and so unlike what one would expect of a 9th Development officer. He leads us through the sitting room and gestures towards a closed door. Cautiously, I push the door open and find a room with a double bed and a single dresser with a lamp. Simple, yet it is still more than either Chad or I have had in a very long time.  I swallow hard.

“You can either share, or one of you can take the bed whilst the other takes the couch.”

Chad and I nod, immediately walking over to flop on the bed next to each other. We are used to sharing confined quarters due to how we live on the Seventh. Jensen chews his lip.

“Tomorrow morning, bright and early, okay? We have to meet with the Head at 8 am sharp.”

Then he closes the door behind us, leaving us in darkness. Kicking off my shoes, I snuggle down under the blankets of the bed and sigh in relief. I haven’t slept in a bed since I left the First Galaxy of Crepton, unless you count that thing on the Starliner as a bed. The softness and comfort of the bed soothes my aching body and I let out a happy sigh. Next to me, Chad giggles. He buries down under the blankets, laughing.

“We are in a bed, Jaybird. An actual bed!”

I laugh with him, but deep in my heart I know that something as simple as a bed shouldn’t be so exciting. The world is a messed up place, I muse to myself as I drift off to sleep.

The next morning comes far too soon. Jensen wakes us up carelessly, telling us to get out lazy arses up. Stumbling out of the bed, Jensen shoves Chad towards a bathroom, telling him to hurry up and shower so that I can have a turn too. The thought of using an actual shower is daunting, since ever since I left First, I have used the old methods of basins and wash clothes. Jensen pushes me into the kitchen and points at a bar stool that stands next to the island in the middle of the room.

“Take a seat. I’ll cook us some breakfast.” Jensen won’t look at me. His eyes carefully avoid my face and he looks even more sullen than before.

“Are you okay?” I inquire, cautious so as not to upset the tense man more. His shoulders are hunched and strained.

He sighs and, finally, meets my gaze. “Have you really not slept in a bed before?”

Realization dawns on me. He must have heard Chad and I talking about the bed last night after he left. He’s concerned, I realize. No. It’s more than that. He is ashamed. Ashamed that he has this perfect little life, doing good for the people of the New World while we slumber on the Seventh without so much as a bed or running water. I gulp.

“Last night was the first time that I have slept in a bed since I left the First Galaxy of Crepton at the age of 13. That was eleven years ago.” I speak softly, gently reaching out and squeezing Jensen’s shoulder.  He looks up at me, swallowing visibly. “As for Chad,” I continue, “he hasn’t ever had a bed, as far as I know. He told me his mom lived on the streets and so he always has too.”

“I’m sorry,” Jensen says. “You guys were just kids. There are so many things that we take for granted and yet people on the Seventh are dying without them.”

I shrug, feeling uncomfortable. Sure, Jensen is hot as hell. He is nice enough under that cold exterior that all 9th Development officers possess. But I barely know him and here I am having a heart to heart in his kitchen. I’m saved from the situation by Chad stumbling out of the bathroom, his face glowing. I tug my hand away from Jensen’s body and look at my best friend, grinning.

“Did it live up to your dreams then?” I ask, smirking playfully.

Chad grins. “Man, who would of thought washing could feel so damn good. Jaybird, we have got to steal ourselves a shower. I refuse to go home without one.”  
I laugh. “Yeah well, we can get those damn codes for Chris and Steve, steal Jensen’s Starliner, stop by the Blue Moon Galaxy and pick up some supplies, maybe take a trip to the Wild Lands and then head on home.”

Chad drapes his arm around my shoulders and places a kiss on my cheek.

“I love you, ya know that, right Jaybird?”  
I snort. “Yeah, well I love you too, man,” I say as I stand up, pushing him away. The ability to breathe becomes harder and I start to panic. Keeping a cool and collected appearance, I say, “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’d like to try out this shower.”

I stumble out the room, gasping for breath and ignoring the burning gaze I can feel drilling into the back of my head. I close the bathroom door, turn on the shower so that the others won’t hear, and slide to the floor, pulling my knees to my chest and resting my head on the them. I breathe in unevenly, squeezing my eyes shut as my body starts to shake violently. I need some damn pills; I think through gritted teeth as pain overwhelms me. A few spare tears trickle down my face and I hold in my sob. I don’t want Chad and Jensen to know how much not having my pills is affecting me. I need them to think I’m okay. It’s not like it would make a difference. Under is a 9th Development military base. Where would I find someone dealing illegal pills here? I black out for a moment and when I come too I am curled up on my side, light tremors leaving my body. Then it stops. I sit up, coughing. I’m not surprised when my hand comes away bloody. I strip out of my clothes and hop in the shower, not taking the time to enjoy it. Within a minute I am out and shucking my clothes back on. I look at myself in the mirror and scowl at what I see. My floppy bangs are damp and clinging to my forehead, my face is pale and drained and my eyes are empty. I look like a ghost, and it’s only going to get worse and worse until my body cannot cope anymore and I’ll die. I let out a soft, bitter chuckle. Death isn’t something I fear. But just because I’m not scared of it, doesn’t mean that I want it. I stand up straight and take a deep breath, before exiting the bathroom. Jensen is leaning against the fridge, glaring at Chad, who is sitting on a bar stool and devouring an odd looking mixture. Smoothie, I think, in awe. That must be a smoothie. Jensen notices me and his face softens. Chad plonks the now empty glass on the table, wipes his mouth and looks at me.

“You look like hell, dude.”

I snort. “Thanks man.”

Jensen rolls his eyes, but beneath his don’t care attitude, there is definitely an edge of worry, and, maybe, fear. Then it’s gone and he is pushing off the fridge and walking towards the door. We don’t say anything as we follow.

The short train journey back to the base is silent and seems to drag on forever. Chad is unusually quiet and Jensen just stares out the window, his expression clouded. I zone out, thinking about life, and the next thing I know I am standing in the Head’s office and Genevieve is smiling at us all.

“Good, you’re back. Now, what I’m about to tell you is extremely important. If any of you breathe a word about this to anyone, you will face punishment.” She smirks. “Jensen, would you like to tell these boys the truth or should I?”

Jensen stands up from where he is perched on Gen’s desk. He starts to pace.

“You know that this war has been going on for hundreds of years, correct?”  
We nod.

“Right, so long ago, when humanity first joined the stars and left Earth behind, we made a pact with the Elite. That is the name we use for the groups of species that already coexisted here in the New World. We agreed that there would be no pure humans, as the atmosphere wasn’t livable and because human nature is tainted with a wickedness that needed to be eliminated. We also formed the Order of the 9th Development, as a way to coexist and create awareness and unity between the different races. Lastly, we gave them this.” He pulls out the Orb for us all to see. “This Orb was our gift to the New World when we arrived, however, within a matter of months, it went missing. The Rebels joined together in order to revolt against humanity, as, up until we arrived, there was no lying, stealing or deceiving. It was believed that only a human could have stolen the Orb. The Rebels wanted justice; for humanity to be tossed back into the dying Old World. But the Order of the 9th Development stayed strong and refused. Thus, the war began. All because someone took this.”

I stare at the golden object, amazed. A never ending war all because someone took a stupid orb? What could be so important about that thing? I frown. Maybe it is less about what it is and more about the fact that someone _stole_ it. Jensen had said that before humanity came, there was no stealing or lying. Therefore, when it was taken, the fragile trust humanity was trying to earn had been broken. Something dawns on me then and I nudge Jensen softly.

“Jen, that man who I stole it from?” I say softy. Jensen nods. “Remember how I said he had black markings. Well, I don’t think he was human. I’ve seen those markings before. I just can’t think where.”

Jensen looks up at me. “We’ll have a look through Species Directory and see if you recognize any of the markings, okay?” I nod.

Gen claps her hands together. “Great. You two go and do that. Chad and I will run the criminal data base and see if we recognize anyone that suites that description.”

We nod and Jensen takes my hand lightly in his as he tugs me out the room. The second we step outside the door he lets go of my hand and I bite back my disappointment at the loss of contact. I curse myself. Why do I always crush on totally unavailable people? Why do I crush at all? It’s not like I can ever tell anyone the truth. I sigh at that. I hate lying to everyone, constantly pretending to be okay when I’m really not.  Jensen leads me into a library. A huge, gigantic, amazing library. I grin as I look around in awe. I love books. Back when I lived on First, I would read by the dozen. Now, though, there was never enough time or money or space to keep books. I walk over to one of the shelves and let my fingers brush the spines of the hard cover book. A small laugh falls out my mouth. Jensen tugs my hand, leading me over to a table and placing a book in front of us as we sit.

“You like books then?” he asks, but it is more of a statement.

“I used to read all the time,” I say honestly.

Jensen nods. He opens up the Species Directory and we start to turn the pages, searching for anything that resembles the markings I saw on the man. As we scroll through the book, we chat amiably. I learn about his music types, his favorite food, his favorite colour. We talk about the First Galaxy of Crepton.  Jensen explains how he became a 9th Development officer.

“I was 18,” he says, flicking to yet another page in the book, “I was done with school and had no plans whatsoever. Then Gen came by to recruit and I thought, why the hell not, ya know? Two days later, I was out of town and here, training. 10 years later and here I am.”

I am about to reply when my eyes land on the next page and I freeze. Holy macaroni. There is a picture of a man. The figure on the page has black markings creeping out onto his neck. I squint at the page and catch my breath. Yes. It’s him. I read the information quickly. The man is the last of the T’ch race, the original inhabitants of The Blue Moon Galaxy before more species moved here and took over. The T’ch are said to be mischievous, devil like and suckers for pranks, jokes and death. I look up at Jensen, eyes wide.

“It’s him,” I breathe. “He’s the man I stole the Orb from.”

Jensen looks at the page and then back at me, expression blank. Then he starts to laugh. I frown, puzzled. How is this a laughing matter? Jensen sighs as he calms down and smirks at me, shaking his head.

“Oh Jay,” he says, laughter in his tone, “you just stole the most valuable object of the New World from the most powerful person in the New World. There is going to be hell to pay for this.”  
I pale, gulping. Holy cow. Please don’t let him kill me. Please don’t let me die. Jensen sobers up as he sees my fear. He drapes his arm over my shoulder and gives me a squeeze.

“Hey, it’s okay man. I’ll protect you.”

And, for some reason, I believe him.

 

**Part Three**

**Jensen’s Point of View**

The front door of my house swings open and Jared and Danneel stroll in, laughing. I feel jealousy eat away at me, but I ignore it. Chad walks in just behind them, scowling. No doubt whatever Jay and Danneel are laughing at is Chad. I force a smile on my face and greet them cheerfully. They greet back amongst giggles and Chad flops down on the couch next to me, grabbing my half-finished beer bottle off the coffee table and taking a swing. He scowls.

“I hate those two.” 

Jared sits next to him and punches his shoulder lightly. “Na, you love me.”

Chad rolls his eyes and looks at me. “He’s delusional.”  
Danneel laughs and sits down on the floor, resting her head on my knee. She picks up one of the unopened cans from the six pack and pops it open, downing the drink greedily.

“I am so ready to get trashed. All this war drama is killing me.” She exclaims, grinning deviously.

We all nod in agreement and I toss a can to Chad and then to Jay. We clink them together and start drinking. The night starts to blur together and I feel a headache coming on.  But I push it down and keep on drinking. I don’t know how many hours later it is, but I wake up to find Jared tucking me into bed, pulling the blanket up to my chin. I stir slightly and grab his hand.

“Hey, Jen,” he whispers. “Go back to sleep.”  
I shake my head. “No. Stay. Please. Jay.”  
I’m too tired to see his expression, but after a few moments, the covers lift and the bed dips slightly. I sigh and snuggle into his warmth, too drunk and asleep to care about my actions or what they mean. Jared says something, but I don’t hear it. I’m too busy falling from the brink of sleep.

 

*****

 

We’re on the outskirts of Under, messing around, when the first Starliner’s coast over the planet. I grab Jared’s hand and yank him down under the bramble, pressing my fingers to his mouth in a way to silence him. He shoots me a questioning look but I shake my head. The Rebel ships have drifted over us now and are directly over the city. I scramble to my feet and Jared follows. We watch in horror as the Rebels slowly release a waterfall of bombs onto the city. Flames shoot up and screams erupt loudly, almost deafening. Jared grips my arm tightly.

“What is happening?” he whimpers.

I stare ahead at the burning city. “The Rebels. They’ve been bombing all the major cities recently.” I gulp. “Looks like they finally got around to here.”

Silent tears fall from my eyes and I feel guilty. I can’t help but be grateful that they bombed the city and civilians instead of the 9th Development base. But then the thoughts of all those children who are burning right now makes me feel sick to my stomach. I grab Jared’s hand.

“We have to go help them. Come on.”  
We start running towards the city, me in front, when I hear Jared let out a yelp. I stop and turn just in time to see a Rebel holding him tightly, a knife to his throat.

“No!” I yell.

The Rebel smirks as a Starliner slowly lowers itself to the ground. The man backs away, Jared with him. I look into Jay’s panicked eyes and I start to move forward but the Rebels grip on Jared tightens and blood trickles down his neck as he whimpers in pain.

“Don’t move. I’ll kill him.”  
I freeze and watch dumbly and helplessly as Jared is taken on board the ship and then they are flying away.

 

*****

 

**Jared’s Point of View**

The ship is larger than Jensen’s. And nowhere near as comfortable. The Rebels have me tied to a chair, rather tightly, and locked up in a dark room at the back of the ship. I don’t know how long I’ve been here, but I’m hungry and thirsty. Just as I’m thinking of calling out, the door opens and a man steps inside. He smiles at me deviously.

“Hello there, Under boy.”

I nearly groan. They think that I’m from Under. They probably think I’m a 9th Development Officer and want me to spill all their secrets. Just great. The man pulls out a knife.

“Listen here, you pretty thing, you are going to tell me everything that you Development officers have planned. Got it? And every time you don’t comply, I’ll make you bleed.”

I gulp. “If I talk, you’ll let me go?” I already know the answer to that, but I need to stall him.

“No, of course not. I’ll kill you. But I’ll torture you first. After all, what’s the point in killing someone if you don’t at least make it hurt? Now, where does the Order plan on striking next?”

I shrug. “I don’t know.”

The man takes the knife and slowly slices my wrist. I shriek loudly and bite my lip.

“I’ve never really been one for pain,” I mutter.

The man grins. “Then you’ll love what I’ve got planned for you.”

He pulls out some evil looking device and presses a button. Flames shoot out of it and he moves it closer to me, laughing. That’s when I start to scream.

 

*****

 

It feels as though it’s been days, but in reality it is most likely merely been hours that have passed. The pain is unbearable and my body feels broken. The man has tortured me relentlessly and now he has finally left the room. I let my head hang forward and shudder, the tears falling. I have never experience as much pain before and to top it off, my breathing is failing me. I need some damn pills. I let my fingers mess with the knots of rope and wince slightly as pain jolts through my body at the movement. But I need to get off this ship. My nimble fingers manage to unwind the knots on my wrists and then I lean forward, ignoring the pain, and untie my ankles. Standing shakily, I glance down at my burnt and bloody body. Flames and knives weren’t the only things he did to me. But there is no time to dwell on it now. I stumble towards the door and try it. It doesn’t open. I wander over to the torture kit he left on the table and grin when I see the small metal wire. I uncoil it and then make my way slowly back over to the door. I pick the lock slowly and then cautiously open the door. I quietly make my way down the corridor and peak around the corner. No one. I continue walking and pass by a window. I frown. We’re on the ground, but where, I have no clue. We haven’t been in the ship long enough to have travelled anywhere. So we are still on Under. That’s when I notice the emergency exit. I glance around. No one. Then I freeze. I can hear footsteps and then a yell. I wince. They’ve discovered me missing. I quickly pull the lever and stumble out of the ship and out into the sunlight. I wince at the light but run down the ramp, without looking back. I can hear them following me so I pick up the pace, pushing the pain and fear aside. There is just an empty desert before me, but I notice a small rocky ledge to my left. I run towards it and then pause as I reach it. The rocks disperses into a waterfall. A high, dangerous looking waterfall. I glance over my shoulder and see the Rebels behind me. I gulp. Well, here goes. Squeezing my eyes shut, I fling myself over the ledge. Dear Mercury, help me, I think, before everything turns black.

 

I come to a while later. The sun has set and the darkness is surrounding me. I am lying half submerged in water whilst my upper body is tossed lazily on solid ground. I pull myself up the slope and out of the small river, shaking my head as water splatters from my hair. Shakily, I stand and look around. I hug myself, the cold eating at me. I can’t see much due to the darkness, but I appear to be in a small wooded area. Not a forest – there aren’t enough trees for that – but perhaps what could be called a mini wood. It is silent except for the tinkle of the water. Sighing, I start to walk, not really sure where I am going, but only that I need to get out of here. I glance up at the night sky and my eyes land on the 8th moon of Under. I smile slightly. Perfect. The 8th moon of Under lies directly above the Order of the 9th Development base. I just need to follow it and hopefully I will find my way back to Chad and Jensen. But following the path of a moon is easier said than done. It seems to be constantly moving. I’ll be walking in one direction and then suddenly have to change my path as the moon has moved slightly. There are only a few hours until day light and then I will have to wait for night fall again, or else I’ll lose my sense of direction. Sometimes, I can hear voices and I’m sure the Rebels are going to find me, but then their talking fades away and I’m left alone once again.

By the time the sun is peeking over the horizon, I am tired and fed up of my existence. My throat is dry and my stomach growls with hunger. The sun s blazing and hot. I sigh heavily. There is nothing for me to do, but wait. I need the moon in order to find my way. I sit down, leaning my back against a tree. Closing my eyes, I can feel sleep creeping up on me and fight against it. Who knows what will happen to me if I fall asleep whilst the Rebels are still searching for me? This whole drama has drained me. But despite the unease and fear, excitement wells up in the pit of my stomach. This is what I have always wanted. I have craved adventure for majority of my life and I have finally been placed in the middle of one. Yes, this might not have been what I had hoped for – I mean, really, how many people hope to be cast out and sentenced to what is most likely a painful death? – but at least I am finally off the Seventh Galaxy of Crepton and out in the vast universe.

My thoughts end abruptly when I hear a rustling in the bushes beside me. I stand hastily and prepare myself for the blow that is sure to come. But it doesn’t. A short, blond haired girl clad in a ripped t-shirt and baggy cargo pants steps out into my view. We stare at each other, both silent and her gaze is calculating. She steps closer and I force myself not to move.

“You aren’t part of the Rebels, are ya?” She demands.

I shake my head quickly. I take in her rugged appearance and make an assumption of my own. “You aren’t either.”  
She nods slowly. “No, I’m not. I’m Alona. You?”  
“Jared Padalecki.”

She smiles slightly. “What are you doing out here in the middle of nowhere?”  
I make a split second decision to trust her. “I’m trying to find my way back to the9th Development base. I was taken by the Rebels. They think I’m an officer, but I’m not. I’m a Seventh Galaxy boy.”

She turns away from me and starts pacing, looking up at the sunny sky. She stops, stoops down and picks up a stick. Then she starts drawing lines into the dirt that make absolutely no sense.

“You’re here,” she states, making a star, “and you need to get to here.” She grins up at me. “I’ll take ya there, Jared. I was heading that way myself. I have a message off a friend for Genevieve.”

I shoot her a look. What message could she possibly have? Was it to do with the Orb and the war? Maybe it has to do with me? I stumble after her as she starts walking through the trees. She is singing softly to herself and I strain to hear the words

 

_Come little children_

_I’ll take thee away_

_Into a land of enchantment_

_Come little children_

_The time’s come to play_

_Here in my garden of shadows_

_Follow, sweet children_

_I’ll show thee the way_

_Through all the pain and the sorrows_

_Weep not poor children_

_For life is this way_

_Murdering beauty and passions_

_Hush now, dear children_

_It must be this way_

_To weary of life and deceptions_

_Rest now, my children_

_For soon we’ll away_

_Into the calm and the quiet_

_Come little children_

_I’ll take thee away_

_Into a land of enchantment_

_Come little children_

_The time’s come to play_

_Here in my garden of shadows_

The song ends and she continues on in silence. The words of the old childhood folk song chill me to the bone. Every New World child grows up learning that song. It is there to warn us about what could happen if we ever fall back into the ways of the Old World. The haunting melody seems even more mystical in the glittering forest. Alona stops walking and turns to face me.

“Do you remember what life was like before, Jared? No, I don’t suppose you do,” she continues on, without leaving me the opportunity to respond. “I am very old. I have been here since the beginning of it all. I remember Earth and I remember the beauty and destruction that humans caused. I tried to help them, but they wouldn’t listen. And when the earth burned, I showed them to this new home.” She looks over at me. “Was that a mistake? Should I have given them another chance? Look what they have done…”  
My eyes widen. “You’re the Faerie?” I gasp.

The Faerie is a legendary creature who arrived upon Earth as she was reaching her end. For the last ten years of the planets life, she helped humanity and tried to save Earth. When that failed, she led them out into the stars. But no one has seen or heard of her since.

Alona smiles sadly. “Yes. I am. However, I prefer to be known simply as Alona now. The name Faerie is ancient, as am I, but I like to pretend that I am not that person. I like to pretend that I am normal.”  
“I understand that,” I mumble, thinking about how I love to pretend that I am normal; that I’m not a pure blood.

“Yes,” she muses. “I suppose you do. Being a pure human must be difficult.”  
And I don’t even question how she knows this. She is the only person left who ever lived amongst pure bloods. It must be easy to tell. We start walking again, only stopping to rest a few times, before continuing on. The day turns into night, then the night into day. On the 4th night, everything falls apart.

Alona is in a cheerful mood, chatting on about her many adventures over the years, when voices echo through the dark trees. We freeze. It’s the Rebels. Alona places a hand on my shoulder.

“I will hold them off,” she mumbles.

I nod slowly. “You can use your powers, right?”

She shakes her head, smiling sadly. “My powers faded many moons ago, Jared. I am no longer the creature I once was. I am old and tired. I am ready to die.”

My eyes widen. “Die? No, Alona, I won’t let you sacrifice yourself! I need you. I can’t do this alone. I won’t leave you alone. You’re my friend.”  
She cups my face in her hands, standing on her tiptoes and places a kiss to my lips.

“And you are mine,” she whispers. “The base is one day away. Keep heading North and when you get there, tell Gen that the T’ch was spotted on Blue Moon. Save them, Jared. Please fix my mistake and save them.”

Then she turns and dashes into the trees. I stare after her and then screams erupt and the night sky is lit with fire. Biting back my tears, I turn and run. I don’t stop. Not until the trees have gone and the sun is blazing high in the sky. Then I drop to my knees and sob. I cry for the pain I am in and for Alona and for the entire New World. _Save them, Jared. Please fix my mistakes and save them._ I promise, Alona, I whisper into the emptiness. I promise. Then I stand and walk the last few hours back to the Order of the 9th Development base. I never mention Alona again, not even when I deliver her message to Gen. She deserved so much better and I killed her. I will never stop hating myself for letting her go.  
 

 

 

 

**Part Four**

**Jensen’s Point of View**

 

“We will use Jared as bait to draw the T’ch in, and then we can kill him. After he is dead, we will produce the Orb and end the war.”

Gen looks determined as she speaks but I barely hear her. Use Jared as bait? No way. I stand up and scowl, my head pounding.

“We aren’t using Jared for anything other than to check that we have the right person. We will kill the T’ch ourselves and then end the war and award Jared and Chad for finding the Orb in the first place. But we are not putting either of them in danger. Jared has already been through enough since we failed to protect him from the Rebels.”

Gen eyes me. “I am the Head, Ackles. What I say goes.”

“I brought them here, Genevieve. I am not putting two innocent men in danger because I was wrong when I thought it was safe to bring them here without you trying to kill them. They have done nothing wrong. No! Don’t look at me like that. Their life style on the Seventh has nothing to do with this. That isn’t their fault. They are forced to live like that. We aren’t putting them in danger and that is final.”  
I turn and storm out Gen’s office, anger coursing through me. I won’t let her put Jared in danger. I promised him I would protect him, and I meant it. I swallow hard and stop walking, leaning against the wall and running my hands through my hair. Over the past few weeks that I have known Jared, I have become more and more attached to him. Especially after the Rebels took him. He seems so sad and withdrawn, but despite my nagging, he refuses to tell anyone what happened, not even Chad.  It’s only been a week since we got him back, but he is already helping with ending the war. And that’s the problem. Despite his upbringing on the Seventh, he is still a warm hearted, loyal, generally amazing guy, which makes it hard not to like him. Those damn dimples and feline eyes plague my thoughts and his laughter is constantly filtering though my system. I don’t think I’ve ever heard anything as wonderful as that kids laugh. I groan. He isn’t a kid, as much as I wish he were. He is a healthy, attractive 24-year-old guy and I want him. Screw that. I like him. As in the whole let’s actually date instead of just screwing around sort of like. I sigh. That boy is a riddle of secrets and mysterious and I want nothing more than to turn the key on that lock and have them spill out for me. I squeeze my eyes shut and picture his face and let a small smile spread across my lips. Maybe it’ll be okay. Maybe it will work out. Maybe-

“Hey, Jensen!”

I peel my eyes open and find Danneel standing in front of me. I smile at her.

“Hey, Danneel. How are ya?”  
Sha grins. “I’m great. But you aren’t.”  
I open my mouth to protest, but she holds up her hand, shaking her head. “No buts, Jensen. I know you. You like Jared, but are too scared to admit it. Get over yourself and man up, okay? And here he comes. See ya.” She vanishes around the corner.

“Jen!”

I turn to see Jared in the flesh strolling towards me, Chad nowhere in sight. I raise my eyebrows at him and he grins.

“Chad is going at it with a – well – I don’t actually know what it- she – is.” He blushes deeply. I bite back a goofy grin. 

“So we can head on home if you like?” Jared is saying as I focus back in on his words. I nod.

“Yeah, sure. Let’s go.”  
We travel back to my house, chatting and joking carelessly.

“Hey, Jen, did you go to the duck do?”

I shoot him a disbelieving look. “What the heck’s a duck do?”

Jared grins, eyes sparkling with mischief. “Quack, quack.” 

I groan, shoving my front door open. “That is dreadful. Don’t talk to me. Your words are burning up my soul.”

“Aww, thanks babe. It’s nice to know that I’m hot enough to do that.”

I turn to face him as I make a retort when his face suddenly contorts in pain and he falls to the floor with a loud thump.

“Jay!”

 

**Jared’s Point of View**

I come back to myself slowly, trembling and sweaty. My hair and clothes stick to my skin uncomfortably. Warm, strong arms are wrapped around me, holding me against a firm chest, whilst gentle words are whispered in my ear.

“Jen?” I gasp out croakily.

Jensen’s words stop abruptly and he shifts me so that we can see each other. He caresses my cheek lightly. I nuzzle into the touch as I whimper, still dazed from my fit. Jensen sighs and presses his forehead against mine.

“Are you okay?” he asks me. His voice is firm and demanding. Tell me the truth, his eyes beg. Despite knowing him for such a short time, my feelings and trust in him are growing rapidly. And so I do the one thing I haven’t done since my mother’s death. I tell the truth.

“No,” I whisper. “I haven’t had my pills in nearly a month. I can’t-” I stop abruptly, sucking in a breath. “Without them, I’ll die. I’ll die, Jensen.”  
His arms tighten around me as I bury my head in the crook of his shoulder. He gulps.

“I won’t let you. We’ll get you those damn pills. Okay? I promise.” He hesitates. “Why do you need them, Jay?”

“Because I’m human.”

The second the words are out of my mouth; I feel a flood of relief. I have never been able to say them before, never been able to share my secret, my burden. And now it is done. No take backs. No do overs. It’s out there and if Jensen decides that he has to do his duty and kill me, then let him. I’m going to die within the next week without my pills so he’d just be speeding up the process.

“What do you-” I cut him off.

“I’m 100% human, Jen.” I pull back from the embrace so that I can meet his gaze steadily. “I never knew my dad, but he was a pure blood. So was my mum. They met, had a night of passion.” I laugh. “Mum always said it was because of the relief to not be alone. The relief of not being the only pure blood out there. They just needed one night to let go and share their secret with someone. Well, I was born nine months later. And everything was fine. We kept it hidden. No one knew. And then, one day, someone did. I don’t know who or how they found out, but when I was 13 some 9th Development officers showed up at the house. My mum made me hide out in this secret compartment we had. I could see and hear everything, even if they couldn’t see me. They killed her. Because she was a pure blood. Then they looked for me. They couldn’t find me, but they swore they would. That night I hitched a ride on a Starliner, used up every ounce of money I had, and moved over to the Seventh. Knew it would be easier to hide there, ya know? But I was pathetic. Couldn’t lie for nothing.  After a year of starving, I met Chad. He’s looked after me ever since. He’s asked me why I need them pills. But I won’t tell him. I can’t. He has far too many burdens and other crap to deal with. I don’t need him to lie for me anymore than he already has throughout the years. I just… those pills? They trick my body into accepting this atmosphere. They allow me to breathe, to live, to not suffocate. They are slowly leaving my system. Without them, I’ll be dead by the end of next week.”

Jensen stares at me, his expression blank. I chew my lip, panic filling me. Maybe I was wrong. Maybe Jensen will kill me. Maybe he does hate me. I shuffle further back on the bed, already preparing to run, when Jensen’s expression clears. He sighs deeply.

“Okay, that’s…” he laughs anxiously. “That’s a lot to dump on a guy. Give me a minute.” He closes his eyes, tense as a tight rope, and then his whole body slumps and relaxes and when he reopens his eyes, the cloudy haze has cleared and he looks relatively calm.

“Okay. We’ll get you those pills. I promised I would. And..” he digs his finger nails into the palm of his hand, “I’m sorry about your mum. She didn’t deserve that.”

I stare at him, wide eyed. “You don’t hate me?” I ask meekly.

Jensen laughs. “No Jay. I could never hate you. I was just shocked. But I won’t tell anyone. We’ll keep it secret. I won’t let anyone hurt you. I promised, remember?”  
I sigh in relief. “Thank you, Jensen. Really, I- “

I’m cut off by Jensen’s finger on my lips.

“Get some rest. You look exhausted.”

He lays down and I curl into him, closing my eyes. That night, I fall asleep to the sound of Jensen’s beating heart and soft fingers running through my hair as a beautiful voice lulls me to sleep.

 

*****

 

Pain. Unbearable pain, pulsing though my veins and causing me to shudder. It is this pain that wakes me the next morning. I am alone in the bed and for a moment I am glad that Jensen isn’t there to witness another of my fits. Once I have calmed down and the pain is gone, I start to panic. What if he has told Gen? What if he is with her right now, planning the way they want to kill me? I scramble out of the bed and stumble towards the kitchen in desperate need of a drink. When I round the corner, I freeze. Sitting at the kitchen counter, talking softly to Jensen, is Chris and Steve. I gawk at them, not caring that I possibly look like a cartoon character. What the heck?  
“I’m still dreaming,” I mutter. “A nightmare. That’s the only explanation.”

“Gees, nice to know that we matter that much to you, Padalecki,” Chris snorts. Steve stands up and walks over to me. He takes my hand and places a bottle of my pills in my open palm.

“Take one now, Jared. You need it.”

I stare at them in confusion, before looking up. What the…?

“Jensen here borrowed one of the best Starliner’s in the New World. The kind that goes faster than the speed of light.”

Steve shoves Chris. “He’s exaggerating. Nothing goes that fast.”

Chris glares. “It goes faster than most, okay? Right. As I was saying, Jensen flew over to the Seventh, made us a bargain, even though he really didn’t have to because I know you need those pills, and then flew us back here. All within one night while you lay fast asleep in that comfy bed like a princess.”

I turn my gaze to Jensen, stunned. He shrugged, looking embarrassed as he shuffles his feet. “I told you I’d get you more pills.”

I grin, flinging my arms around Jensen and hugging him tightly. “Thank you, thank you, thank you,” I mumble.

Jensen cautiously hugs me back, holding himself stiffly for a few moments before relaxing into it. “You’re welcome, Jay.”

I fold into his embrace, enjoying the warmth and security that his hold offers. I pull back when Chris lets out a huff of laughter. I glare at him, before opening the bottle and tipping a pill into my other palm, before popping it in my mouth and swallowing it dry. A shudder runs through my body as I close my eyes and let it work its magic. The immediate release of tension and pain is a blessing and I find myself smiling happily as I breathe in a gulp of air painlessly for the first time in days. Thank the stars. Then I remember what Chris said and slowly open my eyes, curious.

“What bargain did you make?”  
Steve grins widely, a wicket glint in his eyes. “Jenny boy will get us into the Head’s office for one hour so that we can get the codes that we need and, well, hack in and do our business. You turned an officer into a criminal accomplice. Good on ya, Padalecki.”  
Jensen glares, an adorable blush coating his face. Chris grins, moving towards the front door.

“Well, Steve and I will leave you two to it. We have a planet to explore, things to steal, places to visit.”

“Oh gosh,” Jensen groans, burying his face in his hands. “The Seventh is the only place in the New World where thievery happens and I have just brought two of the best criminals to Under. I’m spreading crime instead of stopping it.”

“At least you’re nearly ending the war,” I point out. “Just a couple more months and it’ll be over, yeah?”

Jensen’s eyes cloud over at the mention of the war. Unease fills me.

“What aren’t you telling me Jen?”  
The front door shutting catches my attention. Steve and Chris are gone. Jensen sighs and gestures towards the couch, taking a seat and waiting for me to join him. I do. He licks his lips and I suppress a groan. All I want is to kiss him. Is that such a crime? I mean, is it even possible to resist someone as beautiful as Jensen Ross Ackles? I don’t even know what gender he’s into, let alone what species! Maybe he only likes aliens. As in, real aliens, not half human half-

“Jared? You with me buddy?”  
I snap out of my chain of thoughts to find Jen staring at me, his head tilted to the side as he analyzes my face. I blush scarlet, hoping to all that’s holy that my facial expressions don’t give away my thoughts. Jensen sits up straight and stares at his lap.

“Gen wants to use you as bait,” he mumbles so softly that I nearly miss it.

“What?”  
He rolls his shoulders back and meets my confused gaze.

“We can end the war this week. All we need to do is kill the T’ch before he causes anymore damage. We need to draw him in and capture him, get some information out of him about why he stole the Orb, and then kill him. Once he is dead we will produce the Orb to the Rebels and negotiate a peace treaty. I told Gen no. I won’t but you in danger. You aren’t trained. Hell, you’re still a kid. We’ll find another way.”  
“You need me to draw the T’ch in?” I ask slowly, in order to make sure that I understand. He nods. I purse my lips. Well that settles it then. I’m not going to sit around and save my own sorry ass when putting it on the line might just end a hundred-year-old war and save thousands of lives. And, if I survive, I might finally get a chance to visit the Blue Moon Galaxy, and The Delton Galaxy, maybe even the Wild Lands. Heck, I might even stand a chance with Jensen. I shuffle over on the couch so that we are touching, his face inches from mine. Then I smile slowly, playfully.

“Well,” I say, “suffer for another hundred years or kill myself and save thousands. Not really a choice, is there.”  
Jensen gulps, his eyes flickering to my lips and then back up to my steady gaze.

“Jay,” he whimpers, before crashing his lips to mine in a brutal kiss. I gasp, stunned and unresponsive as my muddled brain tries to take in what’s happening. Jensen is kissing me. _Jensen is kissing me!_ I plunge my tongue into his mouth enthusiastically, moaning as he nips and licks at my mouth. Then he pulls back breathlessly, his face flushed and his breathing shallow. We stare at each other wide eyed, both in shock, before lunging in again, attacking each other’s mouths, skin, bodies. We manage to make it to the bedroom, tangling in the sheets and merging together just as I’ve been dreaming of for weeks. Then there is pain and pleasure and heat and, lastly, darkness.

 

*****

 

We don’t talk about it. When I wake up the next morning, Jensen is gone. He has left a note in the kitchen telling me to help myself to food and then meet him at Gen’s office as soon as possible. I try not to let it hurt. But it does. Despite knowing Jensen for merely two months, I have fallen hard for him. I think I even love him. And yeah, it’s too soon, too early. We aren’t even in a relationship. Hell, we’ve just made it to the friendship level. But last night, tangled in the sheets, hot flesh rubbing against each other, sweat dripping from our bodies as cool lips pressed against my neck. It was like my own personal heaven. I hoped Jensen felt the same. Sighing deeply, I open a cupboard and pull out a packet of chewy sweets that I have grown attached to over these past weeks. I open the packet and pop one in my mouth, before pulling on a coat (one of Jensen’s, of course) and head out the front door. I make the short journey to the base and make my way straight to Gen’s office. I knock on the door and step inside when it buzzes.

Jensen is sitting in front of Gen’s desk, his face sullen and tense. Chad is glaring at him angrily, looking ready to commit murder and Gen is, well, smiling. She grins wider at me as I enter the room.

“Jensen tells me you are willing to be bait,” she says, not bothering to great.

I open my mouth to respond, but before I can get a word in edge ways, Chad cuts in.

“Like hell he’ll be bait. Are you out of your mind! Jaybird is no fighter. You ain’t putting him out there. You can’t!”  
I roll my eyes. “Chad, listen to me. I’ll be fine. If it means that we can stop this war, I’ve got to try.” I turn to Gen, carefully avoiding looking at Jensen. Not like it matters. His eyes are purposefully downcast, burning holes into the floor.

Gen claps her hands. “Alona’s message that she passed on through Jared stated that the T’ch was spotted on Blue Moon recently. He is most likely still there. We can get you there by this afternoon. He is looking for the boy with the Orb. If we give it to you and leave you in an area where he will notice you, he will confront you. We will have people watching and then they will move in before he even lays a finger on you. You’ll be fine.”

Somehow, I highly doubt that I’ll be coming out of this fine, but my own well-being doesn’t matter. I nod, agreeing with Gen. “Okay, I’ll follow your plan. On one condition.”  
She purses her lips. “Alright.”

I sigh, glancing at Jensen, who’s eyes are still glued to the floor, before focusing a determined stare on the Head. “Chad Michael Murray, Christian Kane and Steve Carlson are all excused and pardoned for any crimes they may have committed throughout the years and are given free access to all planets and travel throughout the New World. Only if you agree to this, will I be your bait and help you end the war.”  
Genevieve smirks. “Alright then, Padalecki. You’ve got yourself a deal.” She turns to Chad. “You’re work here is done. Go find Chris and Steve – yes Jensen, I know you brought them here – and do whatever you like. Jared, Jensen, with me please.”  
She turns and makes her way out the door of her office, turning left and heading down the narrow corridor. I move to follow her, but Chad grips my arm. He shakes his head, eyes wide and fearful.

“Jaybird, you’re my brother man and I love ya. Please don’t do this. I can’t lose you, man.”

I smile weakly at him. “I love ya too, Chad. But I gotta do this. This ain’t ‘bout you ‘nd me. It’s about the entire damn New World. If I can help. I gotta do it.”

I pull away from my best friend and I follow Gen out the room, trying to ignore Jensen’s presence. But the memory of his hot flesh rubbing against mine and the taste of his lips on my own is driving me wild. Despite our short acquaintance, I have started falling for this man harder than I thought possible. I can only hope that last night means as much to him as it does to me. Gen signals for us to wait whilst she steps inside a room, closing the door behind her. Jensen shifts next to me and his arm gently brushes mine. I stare at the floor, calming my breathing.

“Look, Jared,” Jensen begins, his voice soft.

I look up to meet his intent gaze, swallowing the lump in my throat.

“Last night was fun,” he continues, “but it didn’t mean anything. It shouldn’t have happened.”

All hope drains from me. No, this isn’t how it was supposed to go. He was supposed to say he was falling for me just as hard as I am falling for him. He was supposed to say that when this is all over, when we end the war and return to safety, I could stay with him and that we could try out this building relationship.

“You don’t mean that,” I retort, my voice surprisingly strong. “You like me, you’re just too afraid to admit it. When I first met you, you were a closed off arrogant asshole, but over the past few weeks you’ve become more laid back and _happy_ than, according to Genevieve and Danneel, you have been in a long time. So don’t you dare say that it meant nothing. I know you, Jensen. I might not have known you for long but I do know you. So just because you aren’t ready to admit that it is possible for you to actually care, to love, doesn’t mean that you get to lie to my face. So sort out whatever crap you’ve got to work through and then come and talk to me. And sooner rather than later, since this time tomorrow.”

With that, I turn my back on him, breathing heavily.  I can feel Jensen’s stunned stare but I force myself to ignore it. He deserved it, I think to myself. He needed to be told. Before either of us can say another word, Gen pokes her head out and gestures for us to enter the room.

It is a war planning room. A large conference table stands proudly in the center and various forms of technology are hung on the walls. Screens with cameras, tracking devices, and things that I’ve never even seen before. There are 15 people in the room, including Jensen, Gen and I, and a variety of creatures, ones that I’ve never seen before. They stop talking when we enter and watch us attentively, not a single readable expression on any of their faces. Gen places a hand on my shoulder.

“You know Jensen. Well, this is Jared, the boy who found the Orb. He’s going to act as bait for the T’ch and help us end the war. We need you all to get a plan ready and organize troops to file out to Blue Moon. We will find the T’ch and end this war, no matter the cost.” I shiver at her words, knowing that they no doubt refer to the cost of my life. Then Jensen is tugging me away from the crowd as they start discussing battle options. He’s saying something to me, but I find it hard to concentrate. Idly, I pull a pill out of my pocket and swallow it, squeezing my eyes shut. Breathe.

“Jared!”

I look up at Jensen’s yell. “What?”  
He sighs. “Focus, would ya? We need to head off. I’ll explain the plan on the way to Blue Moon. We’re setting the trap tonight. There is a party in the Palace and we have an in. The royals have been told a brief summary with minor details and they are willing to help. Now come on, Jay, we need to get going if we want to make it on time.”

I follow him out the room in a sort of daze. I am going to my death. I have literally signed, well not signed, but agreed, to my own death. I mean, how the heck am I supposed to survive this? Answer: I’m not. The next thing I know I’m on board Jensen’s Starliner. We don’ talk as we prepare for take-off. Jensen studiously avoids my gaze throughout the preparations and I swallow down the hurt. No point spending my last hours pining over a guy who doesn’t love me back, right? I close my eyes as I sit down, waiting for Jensen to take off. I miss Chad already. The fact that I’ll never see my best friend again hits a nerve. I feel the tears threaten and I ignore the urge to burst out into hysterical sobs. This is not the time. I hold in my bitter laugh. There will never be a time to cry again. At least, not for me.

Once we are in the air, Jensen switches to auto pilot and walks over to me. He sits down opposite me and rubs a hand over his face.

“Alright, so, the plan. We are going to the ball together. The troops will remain in the back ground until we spot the T’ch. I will then radio in and we will go to a location that has been laid out and watched by the 9th Development. The T’ch will follow us out after we carefully leave a hint that we have the Orb without making it seem like a trap. From there, it’s up to the soldiers. You got it, Jay?”  
I frown. “You’re staying with me? You do realize that this practically a suicide mission, don’t ya?”  
Jensen meets my gaze and smiles lightly. “I made a promise to protect you. And since I’m obliviously about to go back on that deal, I may as well stay with ya.”  
I roll my eyes. “No point dying in order to make up for breaking a promise, Jen.”  
He swallows audibly and then says, “I’m not about to leave the man I’m in love with to die alone.”  
I stare at him, gob smacked. Did he really just say that he is in love with me? Does he actually mean it? Just a few hours ago, he was saying that last night meant nothing, but now… I stand up and he follows suite, watching me nervously, his hands fiddling with the hem of his shirt. He gulps and chews his lip as he waits for me to speak, but I can’t, too shocked, too stunned, too happy. Jensen loves me.  
“Jay, say something. Please.”  
I grin and grab his hands, pulling him tightly against my chest. His hands rest on my shoulders as he looks up at me and I let mine rest loosely on his hips. I rub my nose lightly against his and smile softly at his wide eyes.

“I love you too, Jen. Gosh, I didn’t think it would be possible to ever love anyone this much, but I do.”

Jensen closes his eyes as he soaks up my words. His light breath ghosts across my face and it takes every ounce of self-control not to pounce on him there and then. Jensen seems rather fond of the idea, though, leaning up to press his lips against mine. We softly kiss, every single ounce of love being poured into the gentleness of the gesture Then, as though we both realize at the same time that this most likely will be the last time we ever have the chance, the kisses grow frantic. We waste no more time, undressing quickly and lying down on the floor, neither willing to make the distance to a room. With only two hours left before we arrive at Blue Moon, we make the most of it, our bodies never leaving each other’s. I can honestly say that it was the best few hours of my life and if it’s the last moment I’ll ever have with Jensen, it’s definitely a good one.

 

**Part Five**

**Jensen’s Point of View**

“Breathe, Jay,” I mumble as we navigate our way through the crowd. We are in the ball room, pretending to be a happy couple having a good time and the T’ch should be arriving any minute. Jared looks ready to pass out and in all honesty, I don’t blame him. We are about to die, after all. Unless the Order of the 9th Development finds a way to eliminate the T’ch before things get to bloody. I keep his hand in my, holding on tightly.

“Hello, Sir, how are you this fine evening?”

I look away from Jared and towards the man who has spoken. Aah, the King. Our host. I smile at him politely and nod.

“As good as can be expected, Your Highness,” I respond, hinting at the events that are destined to go down tonight. He nods grimly.

“Yes. I suppose one would be rather… anxious. May the Stars bless you for your sacrifice.”

With that, he turns and leaves. Jared tugs on my hand and looks at me, wide eyed. “That was the king,” he whispers, breathless. “I just met the bloody king!”  
I laugh, his delighted expression so innocent and childlike. Sometimes I forget that he isn’t a kid. Sadness fills me as I think back to what he told me about his mother. For a kid to watch his parent die… it’s awful. My heart aches for Jared and I wish that I had been there to help him. And then there is the whole being pure human issue. If by some miracle we survive tonight, he will become a hero. And when people become famous, secrets are uncovered. The whole of the New World will discover he is a pure blood and then hero or not, he will be prosecuted. I sigh. Majority of the New World couldn’t care less about pure blood or species, but it is in the laws and part of the deal we made when we arrived. It will have to be upheld, especially after just coming out of a war. I toss my thoughts aside and guide Jared onto the dance floor. It’s in the center of the room and the perfect place to scout out for the T’ch. Jared wraps his arms around me and I lean into him, breathing in his scent. I blush deeply as my mind flashes back to what we were doing a few hours ago. And to think, I’d nearly let Jay go to his death without telling him how I feel. I nuzzle into his neck and press a light kiss to his exposed throat. He shivers and I smile happily.

“Love you, Jay.”

“Love you too, Jen.”

Then Jared tenses and I just know that the T’ch is there. I close my eyes and breathe in Jared’s scent one last time. This is it. It’s time to let go. I tug his head down and kiss him gently. He kisses me back, all the emotions of a dying man poured into it. Then we separate and look each other in the eye. He nods. Let’s do it, his eyes say. We turn and I immediately spot the T’ch. I make sure that my eyes don’t rest on him any longer than the rest of the crowd. Jared and I make our way towards the exit, focused on carefully passing by the T’ch. His eyes are scanning the crowd, searching for the thief, no doubt. As we pass him by, I turn to Jared and say in  tone that is loud enough for the T’ch to hear, “So where did you find it?”  
Jared plays his part, looking at me with wide, excited eyes. “The orb? Oh, I stole it. It’s made of pure gold; bet I’ll get a lot of cash for it.” He pauses. “Wanna take a look?”  
I nod eagerly and we exit the building. Now all we can do is hope that the T’ch follows us to the trap. We make our way down the winding path and into the palace gardens, making sure that we are as far away from the group of unsuspecting guests as possible. I can’t see the Order of the 9th but I know that they are there, hiding in the darkness and watching with beady eyes for the T’ch to appear. I don’t turn around and check if he’s following us. It will give our cover away. No, the best that Jared and I can do is play our parts and pray to the Stars that he followed us out of the palace. We walk quickly, and then, once we have reached the location, we stop. Jared swallows and then pulls the Orb out of his suites pocket. He holds it out to me and I pretend to examine it, making appropriate comments and forcing myself to keep my eyes peeled for the enemy. Then I spot a movement over Jared’s shoulder. I tug Jared’s arm and he spins around, just as the T’ch steps out of the shadows.

“Who are you?” Jared asks, pretending to have no clue who the T’ch is as he slips the Orb back in his pocket.

The man smiles wickedly, a devious glint in his eyes. He steps closer to us and it takes every ounce of my strength not to lunge in front of Jared and protect him from this evil creature before us. The Order of the 9th Development lurks in the shadows, but they won’t try to defend us. They’ll wait until the perfect time to attack, as they ought to. But it hurts a bit to know that they’ll watch Jared and I die.  The T’ch starts to speak.

“I’m no one, boy. But you have something that belongs to me?”  
Jared keeps a confused expression on his face. “Huh?”  
The T’ch laughs. “Don’t pretend, boy. You have my orb.”

“Freeze!”

I turn to watch as Danneel steps forward and holds out her gun. She shoots. Once. Twice. Nothing happens. The bullets go straight through him. The T’ch laughs.

“Bullets can’t kill me, princess.” Then he holds out his hand and Danneel screams, crumpling to the floor. She writhers and chokes, before her body stills.

“No!” I scream. But then the T’ch is grinning again and he winks at me.

“I always enjoyed killing people.”

Then he holds his hand out on front of him and Jared screams, a hand shooting to his throat as he gasps and cries. I fall to my knees next to him and cup his pain stricken face in my hands.

‘What’s wrong with him?” I beg.

The T’ch smiles and the next thing I know a jolt of fire seems to shoot through my body and I can no longer breathe. I gasp out but no air enters my wind pipe. No, no, please, no. The T’ch steps over my withering body and kneels down next to Jared.

“No,” I rasp out, feeling myself start to lose consciousness.

The T’ch puts a hand out and tugs the Orb from Jared’s still body. Jay… The T’ch laughs wickedly. But out of the corner of my eye I notice movement. I squint and slowly start to make out the shapes of men stepping out the shadows, guns ready. Then there is fire and screams and pain and darkness.

 

*****  


**Jared’s Point of View**

I slowly open my eyes, pain jolting though my body as I groan. My throat feels parched and I struggle to breathe. I try to talk, but a croaky moan is the only sound I can make.

“Jaybird, hey, I’ve got ya. Here, drink this.”

I blindly accept the cool substance, feeling better as it soothes my throat. Then I open my eyes properly and glance around. I’m in a medical wing, but where and how, I have no idea. Chad is sitting next to my bed and he smiles when my eyes land on him. I stare at him, confused. I’m supposed to be dead. The T’ch, the Orb, the Order of the 9th Development… Jensen. Panic fills me. Where is Jen? Is he okay? What happened? The heart monitor starts beeping violently and Chad’s face clouds over.

“Jaybird, I need you to breathe for me, okay? Calm down. I’ll explain everything but first I need you to calm down. You’re hurting yourself, Jared!”

I try to do as he says, taking in slower gulps of air and closing my eyes as I try to focus.  Once the machine stops beeping, I open my eyes again. Chad sighs in relief.

“Good, that’s good. You okay? Does it hurt?”  
I frown. Only my throat. “Throat,” I croak out, wincing.

Chad nods. “Yeah, the T’ch tried to suffocate ya. It’ll be bruised for a while. But you’re okay. And so is Jensen.”

Relief floods me. Thank the Stars. Jen’s okay.

“After, Danneel tried to save ya, those idiot 9th Development officers were gonna shoot at ya’ll blindly. They were scared of him after they saw what he could do. Thankfully, me, Chris and Steve got there in time. I stabbed that bastard before he could finish you and your boy off. The T’ch is dead. You’ve been out for 3 days. Peace treaties with the Rebels have begun. So far, it’s going smoothly, but the Rebels won’t agree to anything until they have spoken to you. Seems like you’re their new hero, Jaybird.”  
I gawk at him. The hell? Why me? I didn’t do anything other than steal the damn thing. Jensen came with me to lure out the T’ch and Chad killed the damn thing. If they want to thank and trust anyone, it should be one of them.

“Why me?” I whisper.

Chad shrugs. “You’re the one who started this thing. They want you to end it.”

I shake my head slowly, bewildered. I didn’t die and now I’m supposed to be a peace negotiator for the Rebels and 9th Development? And to think, a few months ago I was nothing more than a common thief. I start to sit up and the world spins violently. Chad rests his hand on my arm and I zone in on it, finding a focus point until the world stops turning. I feel like I’m going to be sick.

“I got ya, Jaybird. I got ya.”

I nod slowly. Then a memory from that night comes back to me. “Danneel?”

Chad shakes his head. “I’m sorry, Jaybird.” His tone is full of sorrow.

I squeeze my eyes shut and swallow down the feeling of throwing up. Then I swing my legs over the side of the bed and stand shakily.

‘Where ya going Jared?” Chad asks incredulously.

I take a stumbling step forward. “Need to see Jen,” I whimper as pain shoots through my body. Chad mutters crossly under his breath and wraps his arm around my waist in support. He guides me out the room and down a long string of corridors.

‘Where are we?” I ask, as we continue on slowly.

Chad snorts. “The Royals private medical wing. Feel honored, Jaybird.”

I stop walking and look around with a new perspective. ‘We’re still on the Blue Moon Galaxy?”  
He nods. Wow. I take everything in, stunned and in awe. The medical wing is like none that I have ever seen before. It is far too grand and expensive looking, when I compare to the medical wings back on the Seventh, heck, even when I compare it to the First. But my attention is shifted when we enter a medical suite that is drenched in absolute silence. There is one bed in the room. I can see Jensen in it and for a moment I panic, but then I see his chest rising and falling and Chad reassures me that he is perfectly okay, just in need of rest. I nod and detangle myself from Chad. There are a couple chairs next to the bed and I fall into one of them, taking Jensen’s hand in my own.

“He’s better than you,” Chad whispers. “I promise he’s just sleeping. He barely left your side since you were both brought in.”  
I nod and keep my eyes glued on Jensen’s face whilst my thumb strokes soothing patterns onto his palm.  He’s so beautiful and it hurts to think that he’s suffered as much pain as I did when the T’ch attacked me. All I want is to see those gorgeous green eyes staring back into my own. It feels unreal. All of this. I know that my stealing the Orb has ended the war, but I wish that it hadn’t been me to do it. Yes, I met Jensen and I finally got off the Seventh, but at least back there I was safe and happy. Now, I am going to be busy building a peace treaty and I’m going to be being watched by practically the whole of the New World. If they find out what I am… I gulp and look away from Jensen, but Chad is gone and I’m alone with my lovers still body. I lean in and press a soft kiss to Jensen’s forehead. He stirs slightly and I pull back, my hands grip tightening around his.

“Jen?” I whisper.

He rolls over slightly and blinks, staring at me blearily. Then he sits up hurriedly.

“Jay?” He gasps, before throwing himself into my arms and hugging me tightly. I nuzzle into his neck and breathe in his unique scent. He’s here with me. We’re both okay and alive. I pull back and frantically press my lips to his. He groans and presses hard against me harshly, biting at my lower lip before pulling back, cupping my face in his hands.

‘You’re awake,” he whispers. “I was so worried, Jay. They didn’t know if you would wake up.”  
I smile weakly. “Yeah, Jen. I’m awake.”

 

*****

 

The conference room is bustling with noise and movement as various members of the Order of the 9th Development, the Rebels and two representatives from each planet in the New World argue loudly and obnoxiously. I stare through the one-way glass and gulp nosily. I am supposed to go in there, calm these people down and propose a peace treaty that they’ll all agree to? I feel sick. But it’s not like I have much choice. Jensen places his hand on my shoulder and gives it a light squeeze, smiling reassuringly. We have spent the past week together in the hospital, recovering, before flying back to Under, and over that time we have put together a plan that we hope the rest of the New World will agree too. But watching the members of the peace treaty negotiations arguing and the looks of hatred being tossed around has left me unsure and anxious about the agreement I am planning on proposing. If those in charge of creating the peace can’t even get along, what will the rest of the New World be like. Everyone alive today remembers only war and hatred. We have never had peace. Do we even know how to have it? The world is a cruel place and sometimes, it’s as though no even cares. We only ever seek ways to benefit ourselves, never thinking about the rest of the people who might suffer due to our choice. I gulp. That changes today. Today, I will propose a peace treaty and they will just have to deal with it because I won’t take no for an answer. The unrest and hatred towards other species and people ends here and now. I didn’t almost die for them to toss it back in my face.

I push the door open and step into the conference room. The squabbling slowly fades and a hush falls over the room. The forty odd people in the room all turn to stare at Jensen and I with interest spiking their expressions. I cover up my nervous and calmly walk over to the conference table, placing the book with all my planning carefully on the smooth surface. Then I look up and taken in their vacant expressions staring back at me. I roll my eyes.

“Sit down, would ya? We aren’t going to get anything done if you all keep standing there.”

Immediately, they move over to the table, taking their seats. Jensen shoots me a grin and then takes the seat next to me. I remain standing. Once everyone is calm and collected, I clear my throat.

“I’m Jared, although I’m guessing you all know that.”

They stare at me blankly, not even cracking a smile.

“Right then,” I mutter. “We are here to come up with a peace treaty. But before we do that, I want ya’ll to think, okay, really think about it; what does peace mean?”  
They frown then, as though they hadn’t really thought about it before. After all, none of us had. We never expected the war to end. One of the Rebels slowly holds up her hand and I nod at her.

“Equality?” she ventures.

I smile. “Yeah, what else?”

Slowly, they start tossing out remarks.

“Freedom.”  
“Justice.”  
“No fighting.”  
“Honesty.”

“Love.”  
After a few more, I hold up my hands to silence them. “Right, so now that we have got the meaning of peace out the way, let’s look at ways to create it. Bringing about peace doesn’t just happen. It is something that you, as leaders, have to establish into your own communities. The first thing that we need to do is get rid of prejudice against planets and people that others deem less worthy. You can’t expect happiness and harmony, if you are going to be dishing out disrespectful and uncaring comments about certain people. That’s only going to end up causing another war. Objections?”  
There are a few grumblings and then someone puts up their hand. I gesture for them to speak.

“Those from the Seventh Galaxy of Crepton aren’t worth as much as the rest of the New World. Everyone knows that.”

Immediately, the Seventh representatives are in up roar and fighting breaks out amongst the peace members. I roll my eyes.

“Shut up!” I scream. All heads turn to me, wide eyed as they slowly sit back down. “Pathetic kids, the lot of ya,” I remark. “And in response to that discriminatory remark, if you really think that, I suppose I should leave. After all, why should a lowly Seventh be drawing up the damn peace treaty, hey?”  
“You’re a Seventh?” people gasp.

I chuckle. “Yeah, so anymore objections?”

No one says anything.

“Good. So the peace treaty requires no discrimination, got that? Right, next, we will be addressing the reason for the stupid war. It wasn’t humans who took the Orb. So humans aren’t to blame. No one will be held responsible or punished, agreed? Good. Now, we need to establish some form of unity, any ideas?”  


*****  


I stumble out the conference room, sweat dripping off me and I lean against the wall, heart racing. Jensen gently places his hand on my arm, his other hand squeezing my own.

“I did it,” I whisper, stunned.  
He grins at me. “Yeah, Jay, you did.”  
I laugh lightly. Then Jensen and I continue walking down the hall way and back towards the office building. I need to talk to Gen as soon as she leaves the meeting. There is one more rule I need to change and add into the peace treaty.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Jensen asks.

I nod. “Yes. It’s a 9th Development rule. Gen can change it. I just have to convince her.” Jensen nods and we continue walking in silence. It’s been nearly two weeks since the war ended and the rest of the New World is bursting with confusion, since no one has announced that the war is over to them yet.  I stop walking and place my hand on Jen’s shoulder in order to stop him. He shoots me a questioning look. I frown.

“Why hasn’t the rest of the New World been informed that the war is over? Don’t you think it’s a bit odd, Jen?”  
he gulps and looks away, chewing his lower lip. He tries to dodge me but I grip his shoulders firmly, forcing him to meet my gaze.

“What aren’t you telling em?”  
He shakes his head. “I didn’t want to scare you, but they have decided that tomorrow on Air Live, you know, the News channel that links the entire New World – “

I roll my eyes. “Yes, Jensen. I’m not thick, ya know.”

“- that you will give a speech an announce the end of the war and the peace treaty.” He continues, speaking over my interruption.

I stare at him blankly. What? Give a speech to the entire New World? I feel sick. I could barely speak for the council members let alone the entire… I shake my head. No, I won’t do it. Jensen rubs a hand over his face and mutters something unintelligible under his breath, but I ignore him. I can’t do it. I… I take a few deep calming breathes. I have to. The war is over and someone has to tell the people, and if no one else is going to, then I suppose it must be done by me. But first I need to talk to Gen. Ideas swirl through my mind. If I talk to Gen and get her to agree, then I can announce it on live television tomorrow. A small grin stretches across my face as I imagine the reaction that will engrave itself onto every single persons face. Suddenly, I can’t wait till tomorrow. I flash a smirk at Jen and wave before dashing off towards Genevieve’s office. Jensen yells after me, but I ignore him.

When I reach her office, she is already inside and I stand there, panting. She raises her eyebrows at me. I smile and step inside her office, closing the door.

“There is something I need to talk to you about,” I begin.

She smiles. “Then take a seat, Jared. And let’s begin.”  


*****

 I’m nervous as I wait back stage for my turn to step up to the podium and announce the news to the New World. I just hope that my plan doesn’t backfire and that I don’t screw everything up. Jensen turns my head to face him and smiles, pressing a light kiss to my lips.

“You’ll be perfect, Jay.”  
I smile at my boyfriend. His never ending support over the past few weeks has helped me get through this new and strange tumble of events and I will forever be grateful to him. I lean in and kiss him again and we stay that way, wrapped together in each other’s arms right up until someone comes to call me to go on stage. I pull back and take a deep breathe. Jensen gentle caresses my face with his soft finger tips and I sigh at the sensations that rush through my body.

“I love you,” I whisper.

“I love you too, Jay. Now go out there and show these people just how awesome Seventh Galaxy citizens can be.”  
I laugh lightly and then turn to follow the girl who was sent to collect me, looking back at Jensen one last time before climbing the stairs up onto the stage. When I step out into the light, I nearly die on the spot. There must be over 10 000 people in the hall and I feel as though I’m going to be sick. I hate you, I think bitterly, not sure who it is aimed at, only that whoever decided that I should be the one in charge of this speech is the one it should be spoken to. I slowly walk over to the microphone and cough, before I start to speak.

“Hello, there, ladies and gentlemen,” I stammer. I turn away and take a deep breath. Stay calm, I scold myself, before returning to the microphone. “My name is Jared Padalecki and I am from the Seventh Galaxy of Crepton. I know many of you are wondering why there has been no fighting over the past two weeks. Well, I don’t know how else to say this, but the war is over.”

I stare out at the crowd, who stares back at me, and I can almost see the question marks hovering above their heads.

“Really?” someone shouts out.

I nod. “Yes, really, the war is over.”  
The people start to cheer, the noise echoing loudly across the hall and I stare at me feet, my eyes squeezed shut. That was the easy part. The next part won’t be quite so easy. Once the noise dies down, I begin talking again.

“The Order of the 9th Development, The Rebels and two representatives from each planet of the New World has put together a Peace Treaty. This agreement is to be followed by every citizen of the New World. Those who refuse will be arrested by the 9th immediately and, well, I don’t actually know what they’ll do to you, but they’ll do something.” I wince. Stupid. “The Peace Treaty boils down to four distinct values which I will read to you now.” At my words, I can see the other committee members looking confused. After all, we only discussed three core values; Gen and I added the fourth. “One: All people, regardless of the planet they are from, are to be treated equally. Two, all crimes committed during the war are to be forgotten. A clean slate is being giving to the entire New World. Don’t waste it. Three, all forms of violence are strictly forbidden, unless you are part of the Order of the 9th Development.” I take a deep breath. “And four,” I glance up to gage the reactions of the crowd, “the law stating that pure blood humans must be executed is being revoked. Pure blood humans are no longer required to remain hidden and are just as much a part of this society as those who aren’t pure blood.”

Everyone is silent, but then a woman at the back of the room stands up. She is handed a microphone by an usher. “But they started the war. Pure bloods are evil. Everyone knows that. They need to be killed.”  
I smirk, having expected this reaction. “Did you not just go against values one and two with your words? Besides, I’m a pure human and it wasn’t humans who started the war. It was the T’ch.”  
At that, discussions burst into life amongst the crowd. I bite back an amused smile at their shocked expressions. Jensen meets my gaze from the side of the stage and he smiles, holding his thumbs up. ‘Well done,’ he mouths and I grin back. I allow the crowd to argue and protest for a few minutes before I hold my hands up and start to speak back into the microphone.

“I know this is a great shock and a huge change. But what we had before wasn’t working. The war is proof of that. If the system we had was a good one, we wouldn’t have just ended a war that has been going on for centuries. It’s time to make a change, people, and this is the best solution that the committee and myself could think up. Now, Genevieve Cortese, the Head of the Order of the 9th Development, will be addressing you and taking questions. Thank you.” With that, I turn around and exit the stage, making my way straight into Jensen’s open arms. He hugs me tightly and I grip him back, laughing into his neck. He runs his hands through my hair and pulls back, pressing a kiss to my lips. “I.” Another kiss. “Am.” Another kiss. “So proud.” A longer kiss, then a soft moan, before he pulls back and runs his hands down my chest, grinning. I hold his hands against my pounding heart and rest my forehead against his.

“I did it,” I whisper. “Thank you, Jen. Love you.”  
He grins and opens his mouth to reply, but a security guard interrupts us, telling us that we need to get a move on and stop crowding the back stage area. Jensen has the decency to blush and stammer an apology. I just shrug and keep my boyfriend’s hand wrapped tightly in my own as we make our way out of the building and into the cool, fresh air of Under. The stars are shimmering in the sky above and the nine moons glisten brightly. We stumble down the starlit path way, laughing and chatting until we reach Jensen’s Starliner. He glances at it, before looking back at me. “You sure about this?” he questions. I nod. How could I not be sure? This is everything Chad and I ever wanted and Jensen is offering it to me on a silver platter. We lean against the Starliner and gaze up at the sky, waiting. A few minutes later, Chris and Steve show up, each carrying a couple duffle bags that holds what is no doubt stolen goods. But Jensen just smiles at them.

“Not gonna arrest us, are ya?” Chris asks.

Jensen just laughs lightly. “You know I won’t. I quit, remember?”

Steve smirks. “Even if you were still an officer, you wouldn’t hurt us. You love Jared too much.”  
Jensen doesn’t say anything, just leans up and presses a kiss to my cheek, which causes Chris and Steve to let out groans of complaint. Then there is a loud commotion and we all turn to see Chad stumbling towards us, an angry girl in tow, yelling and cursing in a language that I don’t understand. I snort. Typical Chad. He turns to the girl and sighs dramatically, cupping her face gently.

“I love you, Annalise, but I must go. I shall long for you every minute that we are apart, I promise. ‘Love is a smoke raised with the fume of sighs, being purged, a fire sparkling in lovers' eyes, being vexed, a sea nourished with lovers' tears. What is it else? A madness most discreet, A choking gall and a preserving sweet.’ Farewell, my love.”

With that, Chad leaves the sobbing girl and makes his way towards us. The other three men are staring with a mixture of confused, disturbed and freaked out expressions, but I just burst out into hysterical laughter, shaking my head with glee as my best friend smirks back, stopping in front of me with a proud expression etched onto his face.

“Shakespeare, man. Works every time,” he grins.

Jensen snorts. “You just quoted Old World literature?”  
I nudge him. “You’d be surprised by how often that old man has gotten me and Chad out of sticky situations.”

Like that time Chad slept with Steve’s ex-wife and lived to tell about it. And that time that I stole an expensive necklace from a Blue Moon Royal. Chad knows exactly what I’m thinking, as he bursts out laughing and nudges me, shooting me a playful wink.

“Those were the days, Jaybird. Those were the days.”

I smile, before turning to Jensen. “So are we going to get this show on the road or what?”  
He nods and we start to board the Starliner. As we do, I can’t help but think about what is going to happen next. It makes me smile, the thought of it. An ex Order of the 9th Development Officer, a pure human, a pick pocket and two of the most wanted criminals in the New World on board one ship and off to explore the galaxy. Yeah, I’m excited to see what happens next. I shake my head in awe. If anyone had told me a few months ago that this is the path my life would follow, I would have thought that they were crazy. I mean, honestly. I’m a nobody. Well, I was. Now I’m the boy who saved the New World, according to the press. Yesterday, when I had discussed revoking the pure human law with Gen, she had agreed whole heartedly, before asking me to join The Order. She had said that they needed more officers like me and that I am already a leader, an icon, in the eye of the public. What a shock it had been to her when I had bluntly responded, telling her that I wouldn’t be able to as I am running off with Jensen in a Starliner, along with our criminal friends. Gen had been stunned at first, but, after having a good and long laugh about it, had promptly promised that should Jensen or I ever return, a job would always be available.

But I don’t think that either of us will be taking her up on that offer. There is so much to see, so much to do. And I cannot wait to see it and do it all with my boyfriend and three best friends. Oh boy, the future holds so much and I can’t wait to get started with it.

Jensen nudges me then. “You okay?”  
I grin at him as we start to take off, the ship ghosting through the hot air and out into the galaxy.

“Yeah, Jen. I’m okay. In fact, I’m brilliant.”  


 

**The End**

The Seventh Galaxy of Crepton is the most respected and honored planet in the whole of the New World. Despite the fact that it is the home of thieves and murderers, scavengers and collectors, it is also the home of the boy who saved the universe. It is a place where honor and kindness are the laws that govern it. It is a place where anyone and everyone can belong.

Then there lies the Sixth Galaxy of Crepton and the Fifth Galaxy of Crepton and so on. After them, there is The Blue Moon Galaxy, The Delton Galaxy and The Under Galaxy. Other than that, there is the wildlands. People say that it is a deadly area and that no one sane would ever step foot in that unnatural piece of earth.  But sometimes people are just dying to prove the rest of the New World wrong and venture into it despite the warnings.

But despite all these wonderful and amazing places, there is one place that everyone in the New World wishes to be. And that place is on board a Starliner that can often be seen shooting through the stars on wild chases and mad dashes, but, most frequently, it is spotted hovering directly above the Seventh Galaxy of Crepton and it is said that if you look close enough, you can see five smiling faces gazing down upon the planet, fondness in their expressions. And if you ask them really nicely, they’ll tell you a story. A story about the war and the hardships and how they managed to stop it. They’ll tell you that it was a tragic time and that people who didn’t deserve to die, did. They’ll tell you about it with tears streaming down their faces, but they’ll smile through the pain. And with one last glance in your direction, they’ll state that because of the sacrifices of good people, the New World didn’t burn. Putting out fires is what water is good at, after all.  


 

 

 

 

 

 

             


 

**Author's Note:**

> So that's that. I hope you enjoyed it. I am thinking of writing a sequel or doing a couple timestamps. Which would you prefer? Let me know! 
> 
> Thanks for reading. 
> 
> xxx


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